Key events
Is Victor Lindelof to play in a back three or midfield for Villa? John McGinn and Emi Buendia come in with Ollie Watkins and Lucas Digne.
Elliot Anderson is back in the Forest starting lineup as one of eight changes from the team that gubbed Chelsea.
The big team news is Morgan Gibbs-White being only ready enough to start the evening on the Forest bench after that horrible cut he received at Stamford Bridge. It required 11 stitches.
The teams
Aston Villa: Martinez, Lindelof, Konsa, Torres, Cash, McGinn, Buendia, Tielemans, Digne, Watkins, Rogers. Subs: Bizot, Wright, Mings, Elliott, Garcia, Abraham, Sancho, Douglas Luiz, Maatsen, Bogarde, Bailey.
Nottm Forest: Ortega, Jair Cunha, Milenkovic, Morato, Williams, Hutchinson, Dominguez, Anderson, McAtee, Igor Jesus, Wood. Subs: Sels, Willows, Murillo, Sangare, Gibbs-White, Ndoye, Lucca, Yates, Bakwa, Whitehall, Sinclair, Hanks.
Referee: Glenn Nyberg (Sweden)
Will Unwin on Vitor Pereira, fourth time lucky for Forest.
Dyche did what he had to, settling things down after a tumultuous start to the season, whereas Pereira wanted to offer greater freedom. Forest are the highest scorers in the league since his arrival, with 19 in nine matches, and have the third-best defence and would sit sixth over the period, according to Goalpoint. Under Pereira, Forest have scored 8.02 goals above xG, arguably a result of the increase in confidence and risk-taking.
Last time out in the Premier League:
The first leg:
Preamble
Nottingham Forest have the advantage but it’s a narrow one. Can Aston Villa overturn it? Their form last week at the City Ground, and in losing to Tottenham last Sunday, has slumped. Just at the wrong time? We’re about to find out. Forest meanwhile have thundered into form, and the stattos will tell you they are hugely outperforming their xG. Though didn’t that used to be said about the Villa? By midnight – hopefully not that late – we will know who will be heading to Istanbul for the final.
Kick-off at 8pm. Join me.