Unai Emery is preparing changes to his Aston Villa lineup ahead of tonight’s Europa League opener against Bologna, with Ian Maatsen expected to come in at left-back.
The Dutch defender looks set to take Lucas Digne’s place as Emery seeks a response from his side after a sluggish display last weekend.

Maatsen in Line to Replace Digne for Bologna Clash
Maatsen, who featured off the bench for Digne at the Stadium of Light on Sunday, has been edging closer to a regular start. With Villa facing two matches in quick succession, Emery is prepared to rotate his squad and give him the chance.

The Spaniard was critical of his players’ effort levels in Sunderland, branding them “lazy,” and intends to inject more urgency by turning to the 22-year-old.

Signed from Chelsea in a £35m deal 15 months ago, Maatsen has so far found it difficult to secure a consistent role in Emery’s plans.

On £125,000 a week, he has only started twice this season—during the 3-0 home defeat to Crystal Palace and the Carabao Cup loss away at Brentford.
Tonight’s test against Bologna offers the perfect opening for further adjustments, with Fulham also awaiting on Sunday.

Harvey Elliott, who began the Brentford tie, is another player set for valuable minutes. The Liverpool loanee scored in that match, forcing a penalty shoot-out Villa eventually lost.

Meanwhile, Jadon Sancho, benched last time out, is also pushing for involvement. Having started against Brentford, the winger is expected to feature more heavily versus Bologna’s Greyhounds.