Venue: Villa Park, Birmingham.
Date: 4 March 2026, Premier League (Regular Season - 29).
Aston Villa come into this in 4th place (51 points), Chelsea sit 6th (45 points).
Aston Villa availability
Unai Emery will be without three key midfield options. Boubacar Kamara is ruled out with a knee injury, as are John McGinn and Youri Tielemans, also sidelined by knee and ankle problems respectively. In defence, Andrés García is facing a late fitness test due to a muscle issue. Despite those absences, Villa’s main attacking threats are available: Ollie Watkins (8 goals, 1 assist) and Morgan Rogers (8 goals, 5 assists) are both fit and expected to shoulder the creative and finishing burden.
Chelsea availability
Chelsea’s back line loses Levi Colwill to a knee injury, while young midfielder Dário Essugo is also out. In attack, Mykhailo Mudryk is suspended and Pedro Neto misses out through a red-card ban, costing Chelsea a wide threat worth 5 goals and 4 assists. Marc Cucurella, Estêvão and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens are all doubtful with muscle problems. Crucially, leading contributors Joã o Pedro (11 goals, 4 assists) and Enzo Fernández (8 goals, 2 assists) remain fit.
Villa’s absences are concentrated in midfield control, while Chelsea lose significant wing creativity in Neto. In pure attacking numbers, Chelsea’s available firepower (Joã o Pedro and Enzo) slightly outweighs Villa’s Watkins–Rogers duo, but Villa’s more settled core may offset their midfield losses.
