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The New Zealand wicketkeeper batsman made 66 out of a total of 189 against a full-strength Indian attack in his team’s Champions Trophy warm-up match

ESPNcricinfo staff29-May-20170:56

‘Surprised that an opener’s spot was available’ – Ronchi

New Zealand left for a tri-series in Ireland with a mind to see if Luke Ronchi could be an opener again, and, after a top score of 37 in four innings, he probably thought the experiment had run its course. But the 36-year old wicketkeeper was asked to bat at the top of the order again in a Champions Trophy warm-up game too and it caught him off guard.Neesham expects bouncer barrage

In two of the three warm-up matches of the Champions Trophy, teams have been able to chase 300-plus totals, even while running out of specialist batsmen. Australia beat Sri Lanka by two wickets and Pakistan beat Bangladesh by two wicket as well, highlighting the batting-friendly nature of the pitches
In light of that, New Zealand allrounder James Neesham believes the bouncer will be an invaluable tool in taking wickets and choking runs.
“I think that’s the nature of one-days these days. If you just bowl it up there and hope for the best a lot of the times, you get hit back over your head. The way the game’s evolving and the par scores are getting higher and higher, you do have to change your lengths more and the bouncer is one of those things”
Neesham’s team-mate Luke Ronchi, though, advocated batsmen not to explicitly trust the conditions.
“The wickets are getting flatter and I guess in a lot of places the boundaries come in a bit more and so higher scores are the norm. In saying that, the wicket might look amazing and then it might be a bit slower, might bounce more so you’re going to have to assess as you go along. We have blueprints to stick to and if you do that well then you will get those 330s, 350s.”

Ronchi’s ability to strike the ball cleanly can be an advantage early on, considering the first 10 overs are played with only two fielders on the boundary. There are a few obstacles, though. New Zealand already have a settled pair of openers – Martin Guptill, the joint-highest run-getter since the 2015 World Cup, and Tom Latham, who scored a century captaining the side in Ireland earlier this month.And Ronchi himself has not scored an ODI half-century since a record-breaking 170 not out in January 2015. Nevertheless, he did his best to show his credentials against a full-strength Indian bowling attack, scoring 66 out of a total of 189. His innings lasted 63 balls with six fours and two sixes.”I was a bit surprised when I first found out the opportunity was going to be there but it’s been pretty good,” Ronchi said. “Feeling comfortable with the way things have worked. It’s been nice to make a few runs and obviously you’d like to kick on. Helping the team get off to a bit of a start makes a difference.”Being aggressive is my natural way of batting. If I can take that aggressive approach to the bowlers, if we can get off to a flier, that’s brilliant, but obviously there’s also chances of me getting out early as well with that sort of approach. Hopefully, if it comes off, it comes off well and if it doesn’t, well I guess that’s my role and people understand that.”Ronchi thought “it should be pretty entertaining” if New Zealand couple him with Guptill and they both “kick off”. But in the event the team management prefers not to upset a settled opening partnership, he could get his chance in the middle order.The captain Kane Williamson holds the No. 3 spot and Ross Taylor, who did not play at the Oval on Sunday, will follow him. So Ronchi could conceivably bat at No. 5 but he will face competition from Neil Broom, who has made a hundred and four fifties in 12 innings since ending a three-year hiatus from international cricket in December 2016.New Zealand have a choice of finishers to assess as well. Corey Anderson, who has played only two ODIs this year, is back, fit and ready. Colin de Grandhomme can smack the ball long and he is a decent bowler in seamer-friendly conditions.And there is James Neesham, who came in at 116 for 6 against the Indians and made made 46 off 47 balls. “It probably wasn’t vintage ball-striking, I think I was dragging it around a little bit, but it’s always good to contribute runs coming in at the lower order; reminded me a bit of my first days in the black shirt.” His recent ones aren’t too bad either. He has averaged 34 in 10 matches, batting at Nos 6 and 7, with a strike-rate of 99.Neesham was hopeful of New Zealand’s chances in the Champions Trophy. “We have the Chappell-Hadlee in the cabinet and we took South Africa to deciding the one-day series. And the same thing with India over in India. So the results certainly haven’t been bad. But whenever you come to these pinnacle world events, you want to put your best foot forward. We’re definitely looking at winning the tournament, that’s for sure.”

Victoria will enter the Sheffield Shield final against South Australia with James Pattinson bowling as well as he ever has in his career, according to senior batsman Aaron Finch

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Mar-2017Victoria will enter the Sheffield Shield final against South Australia with James Pattinson bowling as well as he ever has in his career, according to senior batsman Aaron Finch. Pattinson destroyed Queensland by claiming 5 for 7 in the second innings of Victoria’s final regular game last week, and had also run through Western Australia with a five-wicket haul in Alice Springs in the previous round.Pattinson had been out of action due to injury for nearly a year when he returned for the BBL and the second half of the Shield summer, and he has spoken of his desire to get through the Shield season before being considered for national selection. Finch said Pattinson was bowling as well as he had in his career, though scarily for opponents he appeared to still be bowling within himself.”When he gets his tail up and the ball is shifting in the air slightly, it’s a different ball game,” Finch said. “He’s someone who has obviously got pace. I think it took a couple of games for him to find his rhythm back again. I think he was, probably by his own admission, a little bit off the mark in his first couple of Shield games back.”But that second-innings spell against WA up in Alice – to knock them over when they were starting to build a nice lead, was unbelievable. Then he kept that going in Brisbane. He looks like he’s bowling within himself, but still fast and with a lot of control. He’s obviously very passionate and when he gets his tail up, he can be hard to stop.”I don’t know if I have seen him bowl better than this at the moment. I think that he is really comfortable where his action is at and where his body is at. Not being a fast bowler, I can’t imagine the mental toughness that it takes to get through injury after injury, doing all your rehab, getting back, then being back in the gym doing your rehab again. He’s just really comfortable with where his game is at.”Pattinson could be a key factor in Victoria’s push to win a third consecutive Sheffield Shield title, a hat-trick that New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia have all achieved but the Bushrangers have not. The final against the Redbcaks begins on Sunday at Traeger Park in Alice Springs, which has become a second home for Victoria in recent years due to the unavailability of the MCG due to AFL season.”I think the wicket up in Alice is reasonably slow by nature,” Finch said. “I don’t think that good players are generally worried by pace, they’re more worried by movement. If you can move the ball at 135, it’s a lot tougher to face than someone who doesn’t swing it at 145. But he [Pattinson] has got all the attributes at the moment to knock over a side.”The great thing about us at the moment is we’ve got guys bowling beautifully around him. Chris Tremain is in great form, Scott Boland came in in the last game and had a real impact when he got the ball in his hand. Along with Jon Holland … it’s a nice balanced attack we’ve got at the moment.”The boys love it up there. A couple of weeks ago was my first time playing up there. It’s a great ground, it’s great facilities. The way that the town up there welcomes us is fantastic. I think we’ve played five games over the last two and a bit years. It’s a place the boys love playing. It suits our style of play.”

Having been handed the reins at Tottenham Hotspur last month, new boss Ange Postecoglou has also moved quickly to bolster his ranks having secured the signing of both James Maddison and Guglielmo Vicario over the past week or so.

That may not be the end of the Lilywhites' summer business, however, with recent reports stating that the club are among a raft of European clubs who are interested in signing Sheffield United starlet, Daniel Jebbison, having been 'keeping tabs' on his progress at Bramall Lane.

As per 90min, the north London outfit – as well as the likes of Aston Villa, Everton and Newcastle United – are showing a strong interest in the 19-year-old with just a year left to run on his existing deal, with the likes of Juventus and Borussia Dortmund also ready to pounce.

That growing list of suitors would suggest that Spurs will have a fight on their hands to land the £720-per-week teenager, although the signing of the Canada-born England youth international could well represent a dream, long-term heir to talisman Harry Kane at N17.

Who is Daniel Jebbison?

The 6 foot 3 marksman notably came to wider attention after netting on his first Premier League start against Everton back in May 2021, with the youngster having arguably been the "shining light" in what proved to be a dismal end to that season for the Blades, according to pundit Micah Richards, as they slipped to relegation.

Since that return to the second tier, Jebbison has been forced to prove his worth further down the footballing pyramid after joining Burton Albion on loan for the 2021/22 campaign, ultimately going on to score nine goals in just 23 games during that promising temporary stint.

While injury has disrupted the towering hitman since then, the exciting talent did chip in with two goals and one assist in 19 outings across all fronts last season, with coach Jack Lester saying of his talents:

"He’s got a really bright future, Dan. I think people forget how young he is, he was ahead of schedule if you like for where we saw him as we were looking at him as a 15, 16-year-old but he’s got there through his hard work and his talent and we’re really pleased with him and we’re optimistic of a really bright future for him."

Although goals have been in short supply of late, what has been impressive is the one-time Chorley loanee's ability to offer a creative force when leading the line having averaged 3.48 per 90 for shot-creating actions across the last 365 days, representing a near identical record to that of Kane – who ranks in the top 10% among his European peers in that regard with an average of 3.47 per 90.

The latter man – who has been linked with a move to Bayern Munich of late – is facing an uncertain future at the club with just 12 months left on his current deal, with the Englishman also no spring chicken as he is set to turn 30 later this month.

That would suggest that even if the club's record scorer is to extend his contract in the near future, Postecoglou will still need to have a contingency plan in place, hence looking to a figure such as Jebbison who could potentially take on Kane's goalscoring mantle in the years to come.

Senior banker Vikram Limaye will join acting BCCI secretary Amitabh Choudhury and treasurer Anirudh Chaudhry as the board’s representatives for the quarterly round of ICC meetings, which take place in Dubai between February 2-5. The appointments were finalised on Monday at a Supreme Court hearing in Delhi, in which the Court also approved a committee of administrators to run the BCCI.The Court’s decision on who represents the BCCI at the ICC will be of particular interest to cricket administrators around the world as they gather for a significant round of meetings later this week. A number of the big decisions world cricket has been discussing and debating over the last year could be pushed through at the meeting. There is expected to be some progress on the vast governance changes ICC board members have been working on, changes that undo much of the administration and revenue distribution measures that were put forth by the Big Three in 2014.There will also be a continuation of discussions on the shape and format of international cricket in the future. As well as being impacted by these decisions, in ordinary circumstances the BCCI would have been a key influence on the decision-making itself; any reduction, for instance, of their share in a new revenue distribution model – as mooted in the past by ICC chairman Shashank Manohar – would likely have been opposed. It still may, of course, but the impermanence of the BCCI administration currently might have an effect on how the meetings develop.Limaye was one of four people appointed by the Court to be on the committee of administrators, and he was chosen to travel to Dubai due to his vast experience in the finance sector. The Court made it clear that the committee is the final authority on all matters until the BCCI conducts fresh elections having amended its constitution as per the Lodha Committee recommendations. Effectively that means Limaye would need to sign off on any BCCI decision taken at the ICC meetings later this week.At the hearing on Monday, the Court had initially suggested that acting board secretary Choudhury accompany Limaye for the ICC meetings. But BCCI’s legal counsel Arvind Datar pointed out that as a treasurer Chaudhry had better knowledge of the finances in cricket and hence should also be part of the BCCI team. Gopal Subramanium, the amicus curiae in the case, raised reservations against BCCI office bearers’ attending the the ICC meetings.The Court, however, made it clear that it was approving both Choudhury and Chaudhry to attend “so that there will be objectivity and transparency”. It made it clear it was treating their appointment as an exception and allowing them to attend mainly because they had prior knowledge of the BCCI’s stand on ICC matters as they had been part of the previous administration. Justice Dipak Misra, part of the three-judge bench, pointed out that it was not giving a “stamp of approval” on their eligibility as office bearers.This will be the first ICC meeting for not just Limaye but also Choudhury and Chaudhry. The BCCI CEO Rahul Johri was present at the big ICC meetings last year – the annual conference in Edinburgh in June and the quarterly meetings in Cape Town. In Edinburgh, the former BCCI president Anurag Thakur and former secretary Ajay Shirke were also present, while Thakur was in Cape Town as well.In practice, somebody like Limaye, with no previous experience of cricket administration and with only an interim role at the BCCI, does not pose any problems as far as the ICC board taking decisions is concerned. Each member nominates its representatives to the ICC board and the chief executives’ committee, so whether an official is interim or permanent doesn’t matter, and they vote – if a vote is required – as normal. In theory, if any resolutions pass at this meeting that a future, permanent administration of the BCCI is not happy with, they can raise the point on the agenda at a future meeting.

Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins could sign a new deal at the club this summer, according to a key update from transfer expert Dean Jones.

When is Watkins out of contract at Villa?

The Villans ended up having an excellent season, with the arrival of Unai Emery transforming their fortunes, as they qualified for next year's UEFA Europa Conference League.

There were many players who did their bit throughout the campaign, but Watkins was arguably Villa's star man, producing some inspirational attacking performances. The £75,000-a-week attacker finished the 2022/23 season with a tally of 15 goals and six assists in the Premier League and the hope is that he stays put for years to come.

The 27-year-old's current deal expires in the summer of 2025, meaning the club may just start to be growing a little twitchy about nailing him down to an extension, with his price tag possibly diminishing the closer his contract gets to ending.

Could Watkins sign new Villans deal?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones said that Watkins could well extend his stay at Villa Park in the near future, acting as a potentially huge boost for the club:

"I think after [Youri] Tielemans, the forward line is what's going to become very interesting. There's potential for Ollie Watkins to get another contract soon."

This would be an enormous positive for Villa if Watkins commits his long-term future to the club – it would arguably be as important as any new summer that arrives during the summer transfer window.

The Englishman is at the absolute peak of his powers right now, having been hailed as "outstanding" by former Villa manager Dean Smithy recently, and there is no reason why his game can't reach another level under Emery over the next two or three years.

Many top strikers don't hit their prime until around 30, with the likes of Karim Benzema and Robert Lewandowski going strong well into their 30s, among others, and Watkins could grow even more with superior players alongside him, assuming some exciting additions come in this summer.

The hope is that the Englishman is only getting started at Villa Park, in a career that has already seen him rack up 43 goals and 13 assists in 116 appearances to date, and it would be a surprise if he even considered leaving in the near future, considering what a thrilling time it is at the club with Emery at the helm.

Newcastle United are interested in signing Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa this summer in a move which would create some tough competition for the No. 1 spot at St. James' Park.

Manager Eddie Howe has cultivated a winning mentality on Tyneside and has sensationally qualified for the Champions League following his first full season in charge, finishing fourth in the Premier League.

Shrewd signings and astute tactical awareness has contributed to the remarkable resurgence, with goalkeeper Nick Pope, signed from relegated Burnley for just £10m last summer, playing a central role in the triumph.

Despite this, Costa has indeed found his name attached to rumours that United may swoop, with Portuguese outlet A Bola stating that, while Manchester United are leading the race, Chelsea and Howe's outfit are firmly in contention.

With a €75m (£65m) release clause, Newcastle would have to pay more than sixfold the price to clinch Pope's services for the Portugal international, but would boast one of football's most imperious shot-stopping departments should they succeed.

Should Newcastle sign Diogo Costa?

It certainly presents something of a conundrum. The 6 foot 2 Costa is one of the most promising goalkeepers on the European stage, having been a centrepiece for Porto over the past few years and winning the league and Portuguese Cup on two occasions respectively.

The 23-year-old has averaged a rating of 6.95 in the Primeira Liga this season, as per Sofascore, having kept 16 clean sheets from 35 matches, making 63 saves and making 0.8 clearances per outing.

As per FBref, the 11-cap international ranks among the top 2% of goalkeepers across Men's Next 8 divisions for goals conceded per 90, the top 18% for save percentage and the top 5% for clean sheet percentage, evidently an elite 'keeper despite his tender age.

Speaking of his compatriot, Manchester United right-back Diogo Dalot said: "I grew up with him and he’s my friend, there’s a great relationship between us.

‘I know perfectly well that he has the capacity to one day be one of the best in the world."

While some may scoff at the notion of replacing Pope after such a stellar season, injecting healthy competition might be a prudent move, especially considering the clinching of European competition after two decades away from the Champions League.

Costa is indeed young and has ample time to grow into his skin, and he certainly boasts the acumen to rival his senior positional confer in Pope, who, at 31-years-old, still has a lot of gas left in the tank but could be displaced by such a flourishing talent in Costa who is already proving himself to be among the best.

كشف مهاب ياسر لاعب خط وسط نادي الزمالك عن بداية مسيرته في ممارسة كرة القدم، قبل الانضمام لصفوف النجوم، مؤكدًا رغبته في الفوز بالبطولات مع الأبيض بالفترة المقبلة.

وكان مهاب ياسر قد انضم إلى صفوف الزمالك خلال فترة الانتقالات الشتوية الجارية لتدعيم صفوف القلعة البيضاء بعد حل أزمة القيد.

وقال مهاب ياسر في تصريحات عبر قناة “الزمالك”: “تدربت حافيًا بدون حذاء في بدايتي مع الكرة، البعض قد يستغرب من هذا الأمر، ولكنه يساعد على تنمية مهارات اللاعب، وفترة اللعب في نادي النجوم كانت مهمة بالنسبة لي وساعدتني كثيرًا قبل أن يرفض النادي انتقالي لبيراميدز في فترة تولي حسام حسن المسئولية، واستمررت مع النجوم بعد الهبوط لدوري الدرجة الثانية”.

وتابع: “رحلت عن نادي إنبي بسبب قلة مشاركاتي، وانتقلت بعدها لنادي الداخلية وكنت ألعب بشكل جيد تحت قيادة هيثم شعبان ومنحني حرية التحرك في الملعب”.

وعن كيفية انتقاله لنادي الزمالك، أجاب: “تلقيت أكثر من عرض بعد أن قدمت مستوى جيدًا مع الداخلية، ثم قيل لي إن هناك ترشيحات بانضمامي لنادي الزمالك، وحينها رفضت التفكير في أي عرض انتظارًا لعرض الزمالك”.

طالع | الزمالك يرد على أنباء التعاقد مع مترجم فيتوريا

وأوضح مهاب ياسر: “الزمالك خطوة مفاجأة والمفاوضات سارت بسهولة وبشكل سريع دون أي عراقيل، الأجواء في نادي الزمالك مختلفة، شيكابالا اجتمع بنا ومنحنا الثقة في أول مران”.

وواصل: “مستعد للعب في أي مركز مع الزمالك، وشاركت في أكثر من مركز في المراكز الهجومية بجانب وسط الملعب، والصفقات التي انضمت إلى الزمالك قوية وستساعد على ظهور الفريق بشكل أفضل، نسعى إلى حصد كل البطولات هذا الموسم”.

وأشار: “نسعى إلى تحقيق لقب الكأس أمام الأهلي، وسنقدم أنفسنا خلال هذه المباراة للجماهير، جوزيه جوميز يعتمد خلال التدريبات على تصحيح بعض المفاهيم عن الضغط وكيفية استخلاص الكرة”.

وأتم: “جوميز طلب منا أن نضع التشكيل الأمثل في ظل وجود وفرة في كل مركز، المدرب قال للاعبين إن من سيقوم بتنفيذ تعليماته خلال التدريبات هو من سيحصل على الفرصة، وأعد جماهير الزمالك بأن نبذل قصاري جهدنا لتحقيق الـ4 بطولات خلال هذا الموسم”.

Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek is a "top target" for AC Milan this summer, according to an update from journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Is Loftus-Cheek set to leave Chelsea?

The Blues have had an awful season in the Premier League and are now guaranteed to finish in the bottom half, which seemed unthinkable back in August when pre-season predictions were made. They have had three different managers throughout the campaign, with performances and results nowhere near good enough.

Too many players have also slipped well below their usual level and one player who has struggled to play a pivotal role is Loftus-Cheek, who has found regular minutes difficult to come by. He has only started 18 of Chelsea's league games and it has become increasingly clear that his future could lie away from Stamford Bridge.

The £120,000-a-week midfielder's current deal expires at the end of next season, meaning the 27-year-old would be able to leave the Blues on a free transfer in 2024. That is something the club likely won't want to happen and would rather receive a fee for him in the coming months.

Could Loftus-Cheek join Milan?

Taking to Twitter, Romano offered the latest update on his future, revealing that Milan are working hard on a deal to sign Loftus-Cheek this summer, seeing him as a "top target":

"Talks continue behind the scenes for Ruben Loftus-Cheek to AC Milan. He’s top target for Milan, as revealed last week. Chelsea and Milan are discussing about the fee for permanent deal, no way for loan. RLC, keen on Serie A move."

This feels like the right time for Loftus-Cheek to move on, and Milan could be ideal for him, with a move allowing him to test himself in a different league. It has worked out well for Fikayo Tomori, who left Chelsea permanently to join the Serie A giants, which is something the 10-cap England international could take inspiration from.

With Mauricio Pochettino coming in, he is sure to want to bring in his own players and get rid of the deadwood, and unless he sees Loftus-Cheek as a key figure all of a sudden, offering him an extension on his current contract makes little sense.

He has been a solid servant for Chelsea and was previously called "fantastic" by Rio Ferdinand, but now is the time for him to test himself elsewhere, with a move away from west London making sense for all parties.

There was little evidence at Canterbury to support the notion that Kent are vigorous promotion candidates despite their lofty position in the table

David Hopps at Canterbury28-Jun-2016
ScorecardWayne Madsen again enjoyed the Kent bowling attack•Getty ImagesThere was little evidence at Canterbury to support the notion that Kent are vigorous promotion candidates despite their lofty position in the table. Derbyshire, without a win all season, drank their fill on a benign pitch against a threadbare attack before calling off their first innings with a lead of 195 and the last pair at the crease.Wayne Madsen and Shiv Thakor took hundreds off Kent in the corresponding fixture in Derby in May, and did so again, a feat thought by David Griffin, former Board member, freelance photographer and statistician, to be unique in Derbyshire’s history.They were a watchable combination: Madsen neat and orderly for his 163, Thakor displaying nimble footwork and wristy ambition as he contributed 123. Their stand of 144 in 37 overs dominated the third day.Whether Derbyshire will force victory, though, is highly dubious. Their declaration came with only 15 overs left in the day, hardly enterprising with rain forecast for the final afternoon. Kent’s pace bowler Mitch Claydon, fielding at third man, was heard to ask: “163 overs! I don’t think I’ve ever fielder for 163 overs. Why?” Such are the philosophical questions that concern fast bowlers with 30 overs next to their name.Derbyshire are expected be a bowler light after Will Davis broke down in the first innings with a recurrence of a hip injury. In fading light, Kent saw out the final hour without alarm.Madsen, whose innings ended when he played across one from Matt Hunn, has 22 Derbyshire hundreds now, a number beaten by only four players – Kim Barnett, now the county’s president; the casually talented John Morris; the New Zealander John Wright, a batsman of ungainly defiance; and the dapper South African, Peter Kirsten.Only Kirsten has scored his hundreds at a faster rate than Madsen’s one every 9.2 innings, although four-day cricket has had an influence on that, not forgetting the lack of world-class fast bowlers these days, especially in Division Two. Kent did little to challenge that notion.Thakor’s switch from Leicestershire to Derbyshire at the end of 2014 felt a bit of a sideways move, and his form last season was unspectacular. At 22, he has progressed this summer. This was his fourth Championship century and it was fun to watch, with all manner of little flourishes going on after he has played the shot.Seventy-five of his runs came off the spinners, James Tredwell and Joe Denly, both of them treated as a convenience, his hundred raised when he struck Tredwell for a straight six. He was dropped by Alex Blake at extra cover and long-off, soon after his hundred, in successive overs off Darren Stevens and Tredwell, eventually succumbing when he chipped to mid-on.The absence of one Kent pace bowler has already been remarked upon. Up on the dressing room balcony, as the players came off for tea, Matt Coles offered desultory applause and failed to stifle a sizeable yawn. Under scrutiny because of his drink-fuelled antics in Cardiff last week, he had a ponderous training session over lunch, and later sat on an exercise bike, but it did not endear him to every member. “Look at the size of him,” said one.Coles’ career is at a critical point and it would be regrettable if his issues are not seriously addressed by all parties, beginning with himself, because he is a good and entertaining cricketer.

Aston Villa take on Fulham at Villa Park on Tuesday night, with Unai Emery's side hoping to earn another three points in their push for European football.

How does the Premier League table look ahead of Aston Villa vs Fulham?

The Villans' winning run came to an end in Saturday's 1-1 draw against Brentford, but they remain just eight points off Newcastle United in third, with six points remaining.

It would be a big ask for the Midlands outfit to secure a top-four spot, especially given their less-than-impressive start to the season under Steven Gerrard, but a European finish is certainly on the cards.

Fulham also harbour hopes of a top-eight finish under Marco Silva and boast consecutive wins in the Premier League, which should make this evening's game an exciting spectacle.

How could Aston Villa line up against Fulham?

Here is how Football FanCast expects Emery to line his side up tonight, with three changes from the side that started against Brentford last time out.

(4-2-3-1) – Olsen; Chambers, Konsa, Mings, Moreno; McGinn, Luiz; Traore, Buendia, Ramsey; Watkins.

Emiliano Martinez was forced off at half-time in the draw with Brentford due to a stomach bug, which suggests that Robin Olsen could be forced to deputise in between the sticks against Fulham this evening.

There is one change at right-back, as Ashley Young is rested after starting a lot of games recently in the absence of Matty Cash, with Calum Chambers replacing him in the defence.

Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings continue their partnership at centre-back, although summer signing Diego Carlos will surely be itching for a start having returned from his long-term injury recently, while Alex Moreno continues at left-back.

There is one change in the midfield, as Leander Dendoncker drops out with John McGinn moving into a more familiar central midfield position alongside Douglas Luiz, to give the Villans more of an attacking look ahead of a must-win game at Villa Park.

This allows Bertrand Traore to come into the side on the right wing after two impressive cameos from the bench in recent weeks, with the Burkina Faso international, who was dubbed "marvellous" by former manager Dean Smith, notching important goals against Nottingham Forest and Leicester.

Jacob Ramsey will be looking to continue his fine recent performances on the left wing, with Emiliano Buendia playing through the centre at Villa Park in support of the in-form Ollie Watkins in the attack.