Aston Villa lineup vs. Freiburg: Predicted XI for Europa League Final, as Villans bid to end trophy drought

Aiming to end 30 years of hurt, Aston Villa are one game from glory before the 2026 Europa League Final, as they prepare to meet Freiburg on Wednesday evening.

The Birmingham club, who have been waiting since 1996 for some major silverware, will head to Istanbul with most of their main men available, but Unai Emery must make a tough call in central midfield.

Doubts remain about the fitness of Amadou Onana, who has been sidelined for the past fortnight with a calf injury, so Emery is set to turn elsewhere for Youri Tielemans' engine room partner.

If able to overcome a minor foot problem, Victor Lindelof could continue to fill in as a makeshift midfielder, beating both Douglas Luiz and Lamare Bogarde to selection.

Two other options are unavailable, as Ross Barkley was not included on Villa's UEFA squad list and first choice Boubacar Kamara has been ruled out for the rest of the season.

Further forward, long-serving skipper John McGinn - who scored twice in the Villans' spectacular semi-final comeback against Nottingham Forest - should join Morgan Rogers and Emi Buendia behind lone striker Ollie Watkins.

Now back in peak form, the latter has notched 11 goals in his last 14 appearances - including two versus Liverpool last Friday - and is Villa's top scorer in this term's Europa League campaign with five.

Meanwhile, Buendia has recorded eight goal involvements from 11 starts in Europe's second-tier competition, so fellow contenders Jadon Sancho and Leon Bailey are surely bound for the bench.

Aston Villa possible starting lineup:

Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Lindelof, Tielemans; McGinn, Rogers, Buendia; Watkins