Aston Villa vs. Bologna team news: Unai Emery names starting lineup for Europa League opener

Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery has selected his starting lineup for Thursday's Europa League fixture against Bologna.

Despite Villa being winless in six matches this campaign, Emery has decided to make a number of alterations for the game in the West Midlands.

The Spaniard has made two surprise decisions, in particular, with goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez missing out completely and Ollie Watkins dropping down to the substitutes' bench.

A total of four changes have been made in total with Tyrone Mings and Lucas Digne not being included in the backline.

Marco Bizot, Pau Torres, Ian Maatsen and Donyell Malen are the quartet to be introduced into the starting lineup.

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Bologna make mass changes for Villa clash

Meanwhile, Bologna have only retained a handful of players from their recent 2-1 victory over Genoa as they make their second trip to Villa Park in the space of a year.

Santiago Castro is one of the players to remain in Vincenzo Italiano's team on the back of his goal in that encounter.

Scotland's Lewis Ferguson is recalled to the engine room, while Nicolo Cambiaghi gets an opportunity having supplied an assist in the Genoa fixture.

Former West Bromwich Albion defender Torbjorn Heggem is only named on the substitutes' bench.

Aston Villa XI: Bizot; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Maatsen; Kamara, McGinn; Guessand, Rogers, Buendia; Malen

Subs: Proctor, Oakley, Digne, Lindelof, Mings, Bogarde, Garcia, Elliott, Sancho, Watkins, Burrowes

Bologna XI: Skorupski; Zortea, Vitik, Lucumi, Lykogiannis; Ferguson, Freuler, Odgaard; Bernardeschi, Castro, Cambiaghi

Subs: Dallinga, Fabbian, Heggem, Holm, Miranda, Moro, Orsolini, Pessina, Ravaglia, Rowe