Aston Villa could be without up to six players for Saturday’s Premier League clash with Nottingham Forest at Villa Park. Joao Gomes will serve the third and final game of his three-match suspension, while Matty Cash is doubtful after missing Villa’s Champions League win over Club Brugge with muscle fatigue.

Villa's selection puzzle

The absences do not stop there. Villa’s team news has become the main story before a game that should have been about carrying momentum into the league. [Unai Emery] is still weighing up the right balance, and the options are thinner than he would want at this stage of the week.

The suspension is straightforward enough. Gomes is out for the last game of his ban, so Villa already know one midfield slot has to be filled by someone else. Cash is the more awkward call, because muscle fatigue leaves a late decision hanging over the back line and means Emery may have to change shape or personnel again.

Villa’s recent league form has not made the job any easier. They have only three goals in their last five matches, and that run includes the sort of uneven results that leave little room for error on a day when six players are in doubt or unavailable.

What Nottingham Forest bring into the game

Forest arrive with their own questions, and James McAtee has been the clearest creative outlet in the early part of the campaign. He has nine key passes and two big chances created in three starts, which gives Forest a player Villa cannot ignore between the lines.

The wider issue is whether Villa can get enough control without Cash and Gomes. Emery has at least had a lift from midweek, after describing the Champions League win over Club Brugge as “one very important step forward”. That result helped the mood, but it does not remove the need for a tidy league performance against a Forest side with enough threat to punish loose defending.

Saturday’s meeting at Villa Park now looks less like a routine home fixture and more like a test of how well Villa can manage their absences. The strongest takeaway is simple: Gomes is banned, Cash is still doubtful, and Emery may be forced into another reset before Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →