OPINION
Aston Villa gave themselves a big boost in their quest for the Championship play-offs with a convincing 2-0 win over Bolton on Friday.
The result sent Bolton back down to League One, but it leaves Villa in fifth place and firmly on course to repeat their path to the Final for the second year in a row.
However, they could be without centre-back Axel Tuanzebe and star striker Tammy Abraham for their clash against Millwall on Monday according to the Express and Star, so Dean Smith will be forced into two changes – and the double change could see the Villans cruise to victory against the Lions.
In goal, Jed Steer must start once again after having a rather quiet afternoon on Friday.
Both Neil Taylor and Ahmed Elmohamady both had decent displays against Bolton, but they will no doubt be gutted that Tuanzebe might not feature on Monday after being a key component of their season so far. Mile Jedinak – who replaced him on Friday – should be the player to take his spot, as his versatility allows him to play in the heart of the defence.
The midfield was rather strong, with John McGinn leading the way once again as their stand out player. He was taken off as a precaution yesterday, but it is a no brainer that he should play on Monday. Glenn Whelan was as equally as impressive by continuing his good run of form.
Anwar El Ghazi took a while to get himself going, but he ended up making a real difference in the second half. However, the potential loss of Abraham will surely be a big loss for Villa. Keinan Davis – who has only appeared five times this season – must take his place in the line-up.
If Smith makes the right calls with his starting XI, then there is no doubt that his team would be able to blitz Millwall on Monday.