Aston Villa Faces Bruges in Champions League Clash
Aston Villa’s return to the Champions League comes with more questions than fanfare.
Three games into their Premier League season, just one point on the board. The UEFA Super Cup slipped away. And now, on Tuesday night, they head back to Bruges still hunting a first win of 2026-27.
Emery under the microscope
Unai Emery has built his reputation on European nights. Tactically sharp, relentlessly detailed, a specialist when the lights go up and the anthem plays. Yet even he has not escaped scrutiny in recent weeks.
The Basque coach has faced rare criticism for leaving Brian Madjo and Taylor Harwood-Bellis out of his Champions League league-phase squad. Madjo, remember, scored twice against Paris Saint-Germain in the Super Cup. Harwood-Bellis arrived in the summer with expectations of becoming a key part of the back line.
Those decisions now look even starker because Madjo is unavailable anyway. He joins Swiss World Cup standout Johan Manzambi and long-term absentee Amadou Onana on the treatment table. Three significant absences. Three players who would all strengthen the squad in different ways.
Suspensions, returns and a reshaped XI
There is one welcome boost. Joao Gomes, currently serving a three-match domestic suspension, is free to feature in Europe and should walk straight into midfield. His bite and energy will be vital in a stadium that can quickly turn hostile.
Emery also has the option to unleash more of his summer business. Leon Goretzka, still waiting for his first competitive minute in claret and blue, could finally be eased in from the bench. His experience and range of passing offer something different, even if he is short of rhythm.
Out wide, former PSG winger Ibrahim Mbaye is pushing hard for a start. His inclusion would likely force a reshuffle in the band behind the striker. Either rookie forward George Hemmings or the industrious Emi Buendia may have to step aside if Emery opts for extra pace and directness.
Up front, the picture is complicated but unavoidable. Record signing Nicolas Jackson is expected to lead the line again. He has yet to convince, but with Madjo injured and Tammy Abraham apparently out of Emery’s plans, there is little room for debate. This is Jackson’s chance. He needs to take it.
Behind him, the new number one Zion Suzuki should continue in goal. The Japanese keeper has been brought in to bring calm and authority. Bruges away is a stern examination of both.
Full-back battles and Bruges scars
The competition is fierce at full-back. Matteo Ruggeri and Aaron Wan-Bissaka are pressing to dislodge Matty Cash and Ian Maatsen, who currently hold the shirts. Maatsen, of course, has good memories of this fixture; he scored against Club Brugge at Villa Park in March 2025.
The first trip to Bruges that season was far less enjoyable. Tyrone Mings made a costly mistake that helped the hosts to a 1-0 win. That error still lingers in the background as Villa return to Belgium. Whether Mings keeps his place ahead of Pau Torres this time will say plenty about Emery’s thinking and his tolerance for risk on a ground that has already stung them once.
How Villa could line up
Despite the noise and the new faces, the core of Emery’s likely XI feels familiar. The expected Aston Villa lineup in Bruges:
Suzuki; Cash, Lindelof, Torres, Maatsen; Kamara, Gomes; McGinn, Buendia, Hemmings; Jackson.
European glory last season raised the bar. Now comes the hard part: proving it was a launchpad, not a high-water mark.
