Aston Villa heads to Germany as they face Borussia Monchengladbach in their next pre-season friendly match on Saturday.
Borussia Monchengladbach vs Aston Villa – Match preview and team news
- Date: Saturday, 15th August.
- Kick-off: 2:30pm BST.
- Venue: Ista-Borussia Park, Monchengladbach.
Borussia Monchengladbach team news
Borussia Mönchengladbach enter their final pre-season tune-up under manager Eugen Polanski in fine form, having won all their summer fixtures so far.
However, the German side must navigate this high-profile clash against Premier League opposition with a severely depleted defensive unit.
The biggest blow is the injury to Jens Castrop, who is set to miss several months of action after undergoing surgery for a severe shoulder injury.
Adding to the backline crisis, defender Yukhym Konoplya has been ruled out of this weekend’s fixture due to an ongoing knee problem.
Fellow defender Fabio Chiarodia is also expected to sit out as he continues his recovery from a troublesome thigh strain.
Further up the pitch, attacker Thomas Čvančara is dealing with his own fitness issues. He is highly unlikely to feature, forcing Polanski to rely heavily on summer signing Tim Kleindienst to lead the line.
Aston Villa team news
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery faces several selection headaches ahead of this weekend’s final pre-season friendly in Germany.
The Premier League side travels to Borussia-Park just three days after their narrow 2-1 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup, a match that unfortunately compounded their existing fitness concerns.
Breakout 17-year-old striker Brian Madjo, who scored Villa’s lone goal against PSG, picked up a late injury and is now sidelined until at least September.
Midfielder João Gomes also sustained a post-match physical problem, ruling him out for two to four weeks.
They join long-term absentee Amadou Onana, who remains out with a severe cruciate ligament injury suffered during the World Cup.
While Leon Bailey and Johan Manzambi are nearing returns from muscle and knee issues, this match comes too soon.
On a positive note, international stars Emiliano Martínez, Ezri Konsa, and Ollie Watkins could see their first pre-season minutes.
Form
Borussia Monchengladbach
Borussia Mönchengladbach have enjoyed a flawless pre-season, building immense momentum with seven consecutive victories. The German outfit has been lethal in attack, scoring 19 goals in their four August fixtures alone. Recent results include an impressive 4-1 thrashing of Hoffenheim and an 8-0 victory over SSVg Velbert on Wednesday. Eugen Polanski’s squad remains undefeated this summer, carrying supreme confidence into their final warm-up test.
Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C. enter this match seeking stability after dropping four of their last seven fixtures. Unai Emery’s side has struggled defensively during pre-season, suffering notable defeats to Porto, Real Sociedad, and Bayern Munich. Most recently, the Villans suffered a narrow 2-1 loss against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday. While they secured summer wins over Walsall and BG Pathum United, their erratic form raises questions ahead of the Premier League opener.
Predicted lineups
Borussia Monchengladbach: Olschowsky; Hashioka, Diks, Leszczynski, Ullrich; Sander, Stoger; Honorat, Bolin, Hack; Lidberg
Aston Villa: Bizot; Cash, Lindelof, Torres, Maatsen; Kamara, Barkley; McGinn, Buendia, Hemmings; Abraham
How to watch Borussia Monchengladbach vs Aston Villa?
You can watch the Borussia Mönchengladbach vs Aston Villa match live in the UK via VillaTV.