How to resolve the defensive midfielder crisis ahead of Aston Villa’s crucial games

Aston Villa is currently having a defensive midfielder crisis ahead of the crucial games towards the end of the 2025/26 campaign.

The final remaining games at the end of the season are always tricky. The injury of key players would even make the team’s preparation even trickier. That is what Villa is currently dealing with. As the report from the Nottinghampost.com states, The Lions most likely will not be able to play their defensive midfielder, Amadou Onana, in the next few games, including the upcoming one versus Nottingham Forest in the Europa League semi-final. Unai Emery himself shared his comments on his potential absence.

“I don’t know if he will be ready for tomorrow, Thursday or next Sunday. The only player we know can’t play is Ross Barkley, as he is not in the list.”

As Villa have already lost their main defensive midfielder, Boubacar Kamara, for the remainder of the season due to the long-term injury, Emery needs to work on something to resolve this defensive midfielder crisis. Perhaps these two suggestions might give some ideas.

Stick to the regular

This is of course not the first time Emery has dealt with such an injury crisis, but in this momentous stage of the season, every decision becomes crucial. In their last outing, Villa attempted their regular choice when Onana and Kamara were not available, by deploying Lamare Bogarde in that position.

The 22-year-old fullback is actually no stranger to the defensive midfielder position, as he played in that position 10 times before this season. Yet, somehow, his performance is not that convincing. He was eventually substituted by Douglas Luiz in Craven Cottage. He lacks the concentration to help defend before the backline and control the game.

In the Fulham loss, based on the data in whoscored.com, Bogarde only made one tackle, one block shot and 29 passes in total. It was not helpful enough to carry the weight of the second line with Youri Tielemans, who did almost twice as much as him.

The crucial match against Forest, which have strong midfielders, will put Villa in difficulty if Bogarde does not improve his form. Thus, Emery might need to consider getting creative a bit.

Modify the formation

Emery could opt for modifying the formation or the line-up. He could stay using his regular 4-2-3-1 formation but utilise Tyrone Mings or John McGinn as the defensive midfielder instead. Douglas Luiz will be playing as number 10 with Buendia and Rogers operating on both flanks to support Watkins.

In the middle of the game, if Mings is deployed, he could be moving backward so that the team will be playing a back three, Cash and Digne will be operating as wing-backs while McGinn and Tielemans are operating as defensive midfielders, and Buendia and Rogers are playing as double number 10s who can play wide too behind Watkins in a 3-4-2-1 formation.

The Clarets and Blues can also opt to play with a 3-4-3 formation instantly by playing compact in the middle. Mings, Pau Torres and Konsa at the back, Tielemans and Douglas Luiz in the middle, Cash and Digne on the flank, and McGinn would be given a freer role to operate on the right wing as well as help defend the ball in the second line while Rogers and Watkins can focus more on the attack.

Let’s hope Emery comes up with something similar to the suggestion, or even better, from his own mind. In Emery we trust.

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