Aston Villa XI vs Coventry City – Predicted lineup and team news

In partnership with

The Football Faithful

·16 September 2026

Aston Villa XI vs Coventry City – Predicted lineup and team news

Aston Villa travel to Coventry City in the Carabao Cup third round on Wednesday, with Unai Emery’s side looking to kick-start a difficult start to the season away from the Premier League table.

Victory would take Villa into the fourth round for just the second time in the last six seasons. The trip arrives at a testing moment for Villa, who picked up just one point from their opening four league matches, though a battling win over Club Brugge in the Champions League offered some encouragement in midweek.

OneFootball Videos

Aston Villa team news

Aston Villa will be without Ian Maatsen, facing six to eight weeks out with ankle ligament damage, and Pau Torres, expected to miss two to four weeks with a hamstring issue, both picked up in Saturday’s defeat to Nottingham Forest. Leon Goretzka, Brian Madjo and long-term absentee Amadou Onana are also unavailable, while Matty Cash remains a doubt having missed the club’s last two matches with muscular discomfort.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka is available to deputise at right-back if Cash is not risked, and both Johan Manzambi and Joao Gomes return to contention having served suspensions of their own. Emery is set to rotate heavily given the club’s busy schedule, with recent signings Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Ibrahim Mbaye in line for their first Villa starts, and Alejandro Garnacho also pushing for a first appearance from the beginning.