At Villa Park, Marco Asensio returns to familiar ground on Wednesday, though the Spanish attacking midfielder will arrive in Fenerbahçe colours rather than those of Aston Villa. His productive loan spell in Birmingham during the second half of 2024/25 brought eight goals in 21 appearances and restored momentum to his career.
The news from the club
Aston Villa enter the 21:00 meeting seeking a response after their weekend draw with Brentford, a result that has left Unai Emery’s side in the lower reaches of the English league table. In Europe, however, Villa began with a win over Club Brugge and now have the opportunity to make it two victories from two.
Emery must manage a reduced squad for the visit of the Turkish side. Amadou Onana and Ian Maatsen have been ruled out, while Leon Goretzka, Matteo Ruggeri and Brian Madjo remain major doubts.
Pau Torres is closer to a return after recovering from injury. The defender was named among the substitutes against Brentford but was not used.
Fenerbahçe travel to the Midlands without Mert Müldür, but coach Ismail Kartal otherwise has his principal players available. Asensio’s return adds a personal thread to a fixture that brings one of Istanbul’s major clubs to Birmingham at an important moment for Villa.
Wednesday at Villa Park
| Match | Kick-off | Aston Villa absences and doubts | Fenerbahçe absence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aston Villa v Fenerbahçe | Wednesday, 21:00 | Out: Amadou Onana, Ian Maatsen. Doubts: Leon Goretzka, Matteo Ruggeri, Brian Madjo. | Mert Müldür |
