Team guides · Aston Villa
Aston Villa FPL team guide 2026/27
Squad, fixture runs and rotation partners
Squad leaders
The fastest routes into this club's player pool.
Points and form from 2025/26.
Schedule pulse
Difficulty across the next 5 listed fixtures.
Attack vs defence
Bawler's own split — the same run can be kind to one end and cruel to the other.
Rated 1 (easiest) to 5 from the opponent's attacking and defensive strength, not the official single number. How it's built →
Squad
33 players in the FPL game, by position.
| Player | Owned | Pts | xPts | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | ||||
| Martinez75% | 4.4% | 120 | 2.40 | £5.0 |
| M.BizotBackup | 0.4% | 16 | 0.24 | £4.2 |
| Hollingshead | 0.0% | 0 | — | £4.0 |
| Wright | 0.6% | 0 | — | £3.9 |
| Proctor | 0.6% | 0 | — | £3.9 |
| Defenders | ||||
| Cash | 7.4% | 117 | 2.11 | £4.6 |
| Digne | 1.5% | 97 | — | £4.5 |
| LindelöfRotation | 0.1% | 29 | 1.05 | £4.5 |
| Konsa50% | 7.0% | 100 | 2.53 | £4.4 |
| Pau | 0.3% | 64 | 2.76 | £4.3 |
| MingsRotation | 0.6% | 50 | 1.06 | £4.3 |
| Maatsen | 0.5% | 54 | 3.03 | £4.2 |
| BogardeBackup | 0.5% | 40 | 0.86 | £4.0 |
| Leon Routh | 0.0% | 0 | — | £4.0 |
| Carroll | 0.0% | 0 | — | £4.0 |
| A.GarcíaBackup | 0.2% | 5 | 0.29 | £3.9 |
| Patterson | 0.2% | 0 | — | £3.9 |
| Midfielders | ||||
| Rogers | 20.2% | 169 | — | £7.3 |
| Tielemans | 0.7% | 68 | — | £5.9 |
| Sancho | 0.2% | 37 | — | £5.8 |
| BaileyRotation | 0.1% | 21 | 1.21 | £5.5 |
| McGinn | 0.7% | 103 | 2.08 | £5.3 |
| BuendíaBattle | 0.4% | 102 | 2.33 | £5.3 |
| Elliott | 0.2% | 5 | — | £5.1 |
| AlyssonBackup | 0.0% | 3 | 0.54 | £5.0 |
| Kamara | 0.2% | 61 | 2.19 | £4.9 |
| Douglas Luiz | 0.1% | 35 | — | £4.9 |
| OnanaOUT | 0.6% | 76 | 0.00 | £4.8 |
| BarkleyBattle | 0.1% | 56 | 1.99 | £4.8 |
| George HemmingsFringe | 0.0% | 2 | 0.26 | £4.5 |
| BurrowesFringe | 0.1% | 1 | 0.12 | £4.3 |
| Forwards | ||||
| Watkins70% | 13.0% | 167 | 3.85 | £8.7 |
| AbrahamBackup | 0.2% | 23 | 1.26 | £5.7 |
Points from 2025/26. xPts is Bawler's projected points per gameweek — fixture-adjusted and weighted by how likely the player is to start. Full projections →
Rotation partners
Own one from each pair and start whichever has the kinder week.
Scored by taking the easier of the two clubs' fixtures each gameweek across the listed horizon.
Fixture run
Every listed fixture ahead, coloured by official FPL difficulty.
Latest updates
Club-record summer signing Johan Manzambi was ruled out of the PSG final with the knee injury he picked up at the World Cup. He is completing rehabilitation in Spain with specialist Jurdan Mendiguchia. Villa hope the layoff is weeks rather than months, with a possible return during the opening weeks of the campaign.
FPL: Manzambi is a major doubt for GW1 at Brighton and should not be counted on as a nailed starter yet. His absence keeps Kamara, Gomes and McGinn as the central midfield base.
Garnacho was omitted from the matchday squad in Salzburg. Reports attribute this to concussion protocols following the head/facial injury he suffered in the friendly against BG Pathum United in Thailand, when he was forced off bloodied after a collision. He was filmed training on 11 August, so accounts of his current status conflict.
FPL: A watch item rather than a confirmed absence: he has missed a competitive final 11 days before GW1 but has been training. Seek confirmation from Emery's pre-Brighton press conference before committing to Garnacho.
Villa lost the UEFA Super Cup 2-1 to PSG in Salzburg on 12 August. Now registerable after Villa won their CAS appeal against FIFA, 17-year-old Brian Madjo started up front and scored a 45th-minute equaliser to become the youngest goalscorer in Super Cup history. The XI was Bizot; Cash, Lindelof, Pau Torres, Maatsen; Kamara, Gomes; Buendia, McGinn, Hemmings; Madjo — with 19-year-old George Hemmings also starting.
FPL: Madjo is now genuinely available and is the most likely deputy if Watkins is eased in, though this XI was distorted by three rested World Cup players and three absentees, so it is weak evidence for league roles. McGinn came through 90 minutes after a knee scare.
All three missed the Super Cup entirely, having been given four weeks off after finishing the World Cup on 19 July. Emery post-match: 'They are joining us after this match. They are not going to be there on Saturday but they will start training with us now.' The stated plan is to have them ready for the Premier League opener at Brighton on 23 August.
FPL: This is scheduled rest, not injury, so all three should be available for GW1 — but they will miss Saturday's Gladbach friendly and start the season with roughly one week of team training and no pre-season minutes. Treat as managed rather than doubtful.
Villa officially confirmed on 12 August that Evann Guessand has rejoined Crystal Palace on a season-long loan containing a conditional obligation to buy (Palace describe it as an option). He completed his medical on the Wednesday morning and was already omitted from the Super Cup squad to finalise the move.
FPL: Guessand is no longer a Villa asset and should be removed from all Villa plans. His exit thins the forward line behind Watkins and slightly strengthens the case for Madjo and Buendia as rotation options.
Teenager Brian Madjo scored again in Jakarta, taking him to four goals in four pre-season appearances. FIFA has blocked his registration under under-18 international transfer rules; Villa's CAS appeal was heard on 1 July and no ruling has been announced. He turns 18 in January 2027.
FPL: Ignore the pre-season goal rush — Madjo cannot play competitive football unless CAS overturns the block, so he is not an FPL asset regardless of price or friendly form.
Alejandro Garnacho made his Aston Villa debut in the 3-1 win in Jakarta, starting in attack. He joined on 23 July on a season-long loan from Chelsea with an obligation to buy reported at around €50m triggered by performance milestones.
FPL: Confirms Garnacho is integrated and starting rather than easing in — relevant for anyone weighing a mid-price Villa attacker, though one friendly start is not yet proof of a nailed role.
Emery fielded his first-choice group for the first half against Indonesia All Stars: Lindelof and Pau Torres in defence, Buendia, McGinn and Barkley in midfield, Guessand and Garnacho ahead of them. He used 22 players in total, with 19 playing exactly 45 minutes, then introduced Mings, Cash and Maatsen after the break.
FPL: First clear read on Villa's post-Rogers attacking shape — Guessand and Garnacho look like the starting wide/forward pair, and Buendia's start plus a 4th-minute goal puts him back in the picture.
Tracked daily from cited sources. News for every club is on team news.
Manager & style
Structured and defence-first out of possession: a compact 4-4-2 mid-block rather than a gegenpress, shuffling with play and looking to force opponents long, with a central midfielder jumping man-to-man onto the opposition pivot as the main press trigger. In possession the 4-2-3-1 rotates into a 3-2-5 or 2-3-5 with narrow, fluid attacking structure, multi-dimensional passing and targeted long balls to spring fast transitions. Emery rotates heavily across competitions and is a noted in-game tactical adjuster. Retained after winning a record fifth Europa League in 2025/26.
Usual shape: 4-2-3-1
Summer transfers
In
| Player | Pos | From | Fee | Expected role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johan Manzambi | CM | SC Freiburg | Reported between £50m and £59.5m (sources conflict: Wikipedia £52m, myoldmansaid ~£50m, FootballFanCast £59.5m). Reported as a club-record signing. | 20-year-old Swiss box-to-box midfielder; expected to take over the advanced/creative role vacated by Morgan Rogers |
| Joao Gomes | CM | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Reported £35m-£38m (sources conflict: Wikipedia £38m, myoldmansaid £35m) | Ball-winning central midfielder; recorded the most tackles in Europe's top five leagues since February 2023. Direct cover for the injured Amadou Onana. |
| Alejandro Garnacho | LW | Chelsea | Season-long loan (one source instead reports a £40m deal from Manchester United - see uncertainties) | Direct, run-in-behind wide forward signed to replace Morgan Rogers' threat. Emery personally approved the target. Occupies Villa's one permitted loan slot from a single Premier League club. |
| Modou Keba Cisse | CB | LASK | £4m | Squad depth centre-back |
Out
| Player | Pos | To | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morgan Rogers | AM | Chelsea | £117m |
| Youri Tielemans | CM | Manchester United | £35m (release clause) |
| Donyell Malen | CF | AS Roma | £21.6m |
| Enzo Barrenechea | CM | SL Benfica | £10.3m |
| Lewis Dobbin | LW | Southampton | £9m |
| Lucas Digne | LB | Paris Saint-Germain | ~£8m (release clause) - single source, not corroborated |
| Oliwier Zych | GK | Vitoria de Guimaraes (loan) | Loan |
| Andres Garcia | RB | Getafe CF (loan) | Loan |
| Joe Gauci | GK | Lincoln City (loan) | Loan |
| Zepiqueno Redmond | CF | FC Annecy (loan) | Loan |
Current injuries
| Player | Issue | Expected return |
|---|---|---|
| Amadou Onana | Torn ACL in the right knee sustained on World Cup duty; underwent successful surgery. Reported as a 9-month layoff (one source says 9-12 months). | Around April 2027 |
| Pau Torres | Reported to have picked up an injury in the first few days of pre-season. Teammate Emiliano Buendia publicly played down the concern. Severity unconfirmed. | Unverified |
Injury picture as of 30 July 2026 — availability moves fast in pre-season, so confirm against official team news.
Expected XI & selection battles
Formation: 4-2-3-1
- GK Emiliano Martinez
- RB Matty Cash
- CB Ezri Konsa
- CB Pau Torres
- LB Ian Maatsen
- CM Joao Gomes
- CM Boubacar Kamara
- RM John McGinn
- AM Johan Manzambi
- LM Alejandro Garnacho
- ST Ollie Watkins
Battles to watch
- Left-back: Ian Maatsen is the presumed starter following Lucas Digne's reported exit, but the Digne departure rests on a single source.
- Attacking midfield: Johan Manzambi vs Emiliano Buendia for the Rogers role. Buendia holds the penalty and direct free-kick duties, which raises his FPL relevance if he starts.
- Centre-back: Pau Torres' pre-season fitness is unresolved; Tyrone Mings and new signing Modou Keba Cisse are the alternatives.
- Centre-forward: Ollie Watkins is the clear first choice, but Villa were pursuing Nicolas Jackson (see uncertainties), which would create real competition.
- Double pivot: Joao Gomes and Boubacar Kamara are favoured, but Onana's absence and Tielemans' exit leave this area thin.
Set-piece takers
FPL winners & losers
Research calls from the sources below, not model output — the model's numbers for these players are on predicted points.
Key uncertainties
The honest list — what this guide could not pin down as of 30 July 2026. Any of these can change the FPL picture before Gameweek 1:
- Alejandro Garnacho's parent club and deal type conflict across sources. Wikipedia and reporting on the Nicolas Jackson pursuit both describe him as a season-long loan from Chelsea (and note Premier League rules allow only one loan from the same PL club, which is why a Jackson loan is impossible). One outlet instead describes a £40m deal from Manchester United. The Chelsea-loan version is better corroborated.
- Manzambi's fee is reported inconsistently between roughly £50m and £59.5m; Joao Gomes' between £35m and £38m.
- Nicolas Jackson to Villa was still only in talks as of 28-30 July - no medical, no agreement. Emery reportedly 'loves' him from their Villarreal spell and it must be a permanent deal (~£60m-£65m) because Garnacho fills the Chelsea loan slot. If completed it would materially reduce Watkins' security.
- Leon Bailey's move to Hull City was not agreed as of 29 July; fee structure unclear and Hull prefer another loan.
- Lucas Digne's departure to PSG is reported by only one source and is not on the club's Wikipedia transfer table. If he stayed, the left-back slot is a genuine Maatsen vs Digne battle.
- Pau Torres' pre-season injury has no confirmed severity or return date.
- Set-piece hierarchy is carried over from Gameweek 31 of 2025/26 and lists Bailey on corners despite his likely exit.
- Villa have sold roughly £170m-£190m of players and Emery has publicly been rebuilding; further incomings before the 1 September deadline are likely.
Sources
- Hull City edge closer to signing Aston Villa attacker (Leon Bailey) - Read Aston Villa — 2026-07-29
- Aston Villa explore Nicolas Jackson move as striker exits considered - Read Aston Villa — 2026-07-28
- Aston Villa star ruled out for nine months after surgery (Onana ACL) - Read Aston Villa — 2026-07-21
- 2026-27 Aston Villa F.C. season - Wikipedia — 2026-07
- Aston Villa Transfers Summer 2026: Rogers, Garnacho & the Emery Overhaul - My Old Man Said — 2026-07
- Aston Villa's dream XI for 2026-27 as Johan Manzambi complete - Planet Football — 2026-07
A point-in-time research snapshot compiled 30 July 2026, showing the six most recent of the sources the research drew on. It does not update in real time — line-ups, fitness and transfers can all move before the deadline, so always confirm against official team news. All 20 club guides are on team guides.
FPL is a free fantasy game — this is squad research, not betting advice.
Updated 13 August 2026, 07:21 UK · Source: Official FPL API