Aston Villa and Newcastle United have announced their starting lineups for Saturday's Premier League fixture in the West Midlands.

There was scope for the two managers to include five of their new signings in their respective sides, but Unai Emery and Eddie Howe have opted to include just one apiece.

With goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez suspended, Emery has handed an immediate debut to former Brest star Marco Bizot between the sticks for Villa.

Meanwhile, Anthony Elanga starts in the final third for Newcastle on the back of his big-money transfer from Nottingham Forest.

Defensive XI named by Villa boss Emery

In a surprising move, Emery has decided to select four central midfielders, with Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins the only obvious attacking players in the Villa XI.

John McGinn could plausibly feature on the flank as he did on many occasions last year, but the other trio in the engine room are traditional central-midfielders.

Evann Guessand - a recent arrival from Nice - has had to make do with being selected among the replacements.

Meanwhile, the big choice facing Howe was who to select out of Anthony Gordon and William Osula down the middle of the attack in the absence of Alexander Isak, the former getting the nod given that Newcastle are not short of wide alternatives.

As a result of Lewis Hall not being rushed back, Kieran Trippier starts at left-back, while Malick Thiaw starts on the substitutes' bench having recently signed from AC Milan.

Aston Villa XI: Bizot; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne; Kamara, Tielemans, McGinn, Onana; Rogers; Watkins

Subs: Wright, Torres, Maatsen, Bogarde, Buendia, Malen, Jimoh, Guessand, Iling-Junior

Newcastle United XI: Pope; Livramento, Schar, Burn, Trippier; Tonali, Guimaraes, Joelinton; Elanga, Gordon, Barnes

Subs: Ramsdale, Hall, Botman, Thiaw, Krafth, Osula, Murphy, Seung-soo, Miley

Written by
Darren Plant