Aston Villa are back in action at Villa Park tonight, as Unai Emery’s side host AZ Alkmaar in the fourth round of fixtures in Group E of the Europa Conference League.

The Villans were 4-1 victors last time out against AZ, brushing the Eredivisie club aside in the Netherlands to take them to level on points with Legia Warsaw at the top of the group.

After losing in the Premier League last week, Emery will be hoping his squad can respond in similar fashion to their previous outing in the competition, in a fixture that bears significant importance on their wishes to advance to the next round.

Aston Villa team news vs AZ Alkmaar

In his pre-match press conference, the manager admitted that he is “not clear” about what starting XI he will select to face AZ this evening.

With a Premier League clash coming against Fulham on Sunday, Emery relayed that his thoughts are solely on the game tonight, however his selection is yet to be finalised, with some rotation expected.

The four-time Europa League winner gave some positive news in relation to team selection, stating that Matty Cash is available after suffering a ‘small problem’, with Alex Moreno also in contention following his recovery from a hamstring blow.

While Jacob Ramsey will be unable to feature in the near future, the boss explained that the Englishman could return after the international break, following a recurrence of his metatarsal injury sustained in the summer.

Aside from injury woes, Emery will have a decision to make with reference to how heavily he will be altering his team, with a host of players having the potential to make an impact from the fringe of the favoured squad.

The stats that show that Bertrand Traore could make an impact for Villa

Bertrand Traore is yet to start a game this season for Villa, after falling down the pecking order as the squad began to develop and the 28-year-old’s form took a dip.

Despite spending half of the 2022/23 campaign on loan at Basaksehir in Turkey, the winger was recalled by Emery in January 2023 as the Villans failed to sign another wide player, boosting the depth in the squad.

Unfortunately for the Burkina Faso international, his breakthrough back into the favoured XI looks to be far away. However, with Villa’s involvement in the Conference League, the forward could be in with a chance to gain valuable minutes this term.

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Once lauded as a "marvellous technician" by former boss Dean Smith, the £77k-per-week gem showed exactly what he can do during his first season at Villa, as highlighted in the table above.

Against Zrinjski in October, Traore showcased exactly how electrifying he can be when at his best in the wide channels, completing two out of his three attempted dribbles, and recording 14 touches in a cameo lasting just eight minutes, via Sofascore.

With games coming thick and fast, Emery could find the missing key to unlock the door of added quality in the squad depth by unleashing Traore once more, in a switch in personnel that could also promote healthy competition for places in the side.

Nicolo Zaniolo is yet to score or assist since his arrival at Villa Park and could be pushed to reach his top levels with additional competition involved, something that the one-time Chelsea man could offer if he can find a way back into the side.