Aston Villa travel to Istanbul this evening while they aim to secure an automatic top-eight spot in the Europa League.
Unai Emery’s side has moved into a historic phase of the season. The manager oversees his 100th match in this competition tonight. Villa currently sit third in the league phase table with 15 points. They have been consistent in Europe despite recent domestic setbacks. A victory would all but guarantee a place in the last 16. However, the Lions must navigate a hostile atmosphere and a mounting injury list.
Aston Villa Team News
Unai Emery manages a significantly depleted squad for this penultimate league phase fixture. Notably, the midfield has been hit by a severe crisis. Captain John McGinn is out with a knee injury. He joins long-term absentees Boubacar Kamara, Ross Barkley, and Amadou Onana on the sidelines. First-choice goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez is also unavailable for the trip to Turkey. Consequently, Marco Bizot is set to start in goal.
In midfield, Lamare Bogarde could partner Youri Tielemans to provide cover. Victor Lindelöf will hope to start, having recorded a career passing accuracy of 93.1% in this competition. In attack, Morgan Rogers will operate in an advanced role behind Ollie Watkins. Watkins is still searching for his first Europa League goal of the campaign. Jadon Sancho may feature if he recovers from a recent illness in time.
Aston Villa Predicted Lineup
Aston Villa predicted XI: Bizot; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Maatsen; Bogarde, Tielemans; Guessand, Buendía, Rogers; Watkins
When will the match kick off?
The Europa League league-phase fixture takes place at the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium on Thursday, 22 January 2026. Kick-off is scheduled for 17:45 GMT.
How to watch Fenerbahçe vs Aston Villa?
In the UK, the match will be broadcast live on TNT Sports 1. Coverage begins at 17:00 GMT on both TV and the discovery+ app.
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