Aston Villa host Norwegian champions Viking at Villa Park on Wednesday, 21 October, as they look to make it three wins from three in the UEFA Champions League league phase. Unai Emery’s side go into the match without Johan Manzambi and Aaron Wan-Bissaka after both players picked up injuries at the weekend. Villa already have six points on the board following a 2-3 away victory at Club Brugge and a 6-0 home win over Fenerbahce.
Kick-off is scheduled for 8pm BST in the first competitive meeting between the two clubs, according to UEFA’s match preview. Viking travel to Villa Park with one point from their opening two matches, but their 3-3 draw against Bayern Munich showed they can trouble strong opponents.
Injury updates and team news
Emery confirmed that midfielder Manzambi is unavailable to face Viking after suffering a minor injury during Saturday’s 1-0 win over Newcastle United, the match in which he scored the winning goal. Right-back Wan-Bissaka also came off during the Newcastle game, and Emery expects a hamstring injury to keep him out for three to four weeks.
Matteo Ruggeri and Amadou Onana remain sidelined for Villa. Ian Maatsen has returned to training after being out since mid-September, which is encouraging news for the hosts, though his return to the training pitch does not confirm that he is ready to start. Those updates were confirmed in Aston Villa’s official team news update, and the absences of Wan-Bissaka and Ruggeri alongside uncertainty over Maatsen’s match fitness may force Emery to adjust his full-back options.
Viking’s injury picture is less clear from the official information available ahead of kick-off. Pre-match reports have listed Martin Ove Roseth, Nick D’Agostino, Veton Berisha and Anders Bærtelsen as unavailable. Because the club has not confirmed those absences, they should be treated as reported rather than official until the team sheet is released.
Predicted lineups
The lineups below are projections rather than confirmed starting XIs. Villa’s main selection questions are who replaces Manzambi in the attacking midfield line and whether Maatsen is ready to feature, while Nicolas Jackson is expected to lead the attack after scoring three times across the club’s first two league-phase matches.
Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): Zion Suzuki, Matty Cash, Victor Lindelof, Pau Torres, Tyrone Mings, Boubacar Kamara, Ross Barkley, John McGinn, Emiliano Buendia, Ibrahim Mbaye, Nicolas Jackson.
Viking (4-3-3): Arild Østbø, Henrik Heggheim, Gianni Stensness, Henrik Falchener, Kristoffer Haugen, Henrik Bjørdal, Joe Bell, Kristoffer Askildsen, Zlatko Tripic, Erik Botheim, Peter Christiansen
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Tactical analysis and match context
Emery has warned that Viking play with intensity off the ball, press high up the pitch and can also defend in a compact, deeper shape. He also pointed out their threat at set pieces, including corners, free kicks and throw-ins. Villa will need to stay alert in dead-ball situations while looking to make the most of their home advantage and attacking momentum.
Viking lost 3-1 at Stuttgart first before earning their 3-3 draw against Bayern Munich. Those results show that the visitors can score against high-level opposition, meaning Villa cannot assume Viking will sit back for the whole match. Forward Zlatko Tripic has been involved in three of Viking’s four Champions League goals this season, recording one goal and two assists according to UEFA.
Villa have won both of their opening league-phase fixtures, and their 6-0 victory over Fenerbahce was the club’s biggest win in UEFA competition. Even so, Emery has stressed the need for focus and organisation rather than letting that result shape expectations before another difficult European match. His full comments are available in Villa’s official pre-match briefing, and the official team sheets will settle the remaining selection questions shortly before kick-off.
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