Team News: Unai Emery goes strong for Aston Villa's fixture with AZ Alkmaar

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has named a strong XI for the Europa Conference League game with AZ Alkmaar on Thursday night.

Having lost their opening game to Legia Warsaw, Villa are under pressure to deliver points against their group rivals, aware that defeat in the Netherlands would leave them up against it to finish in the top two of Group E.

With each of the four teams locked on three points, Emery has taken the decision to make just the four alterations from Sunday's 4-1 victory over West Ham United.

Two of those alterations come in the middle of the backline with Diego Carlos and Clement Lenglet taking the spots of Ezri Konsa and Pau Torres.

Youri Tielemans has been recalled to the midfield, the Belgian likely to line up in a midfield three with John McGinn being used on the right.

Leon Bailey is also included in the team, with Nicolo Zaniolo and Moussa Diaby both dropping down to the substitutes' bench.

Despite starting the opening two group-stage fixtures, Jhon Duran only features among the replacements as Ollie Watkins keeps his place down the middle of the attack.

Meanwhile, AZ have made just one alteration from the team that eased to a 3-0 triumph over Heerenveen at the weekend.

Mayckel Lahdo has dropped out of the side with Ibrahim Sadiq being introduced for his first start in an AZ shirt.

AZ Alkmaar: Ryan; Sugawara, Bazoer, Penetra, Wolfe; Clasie, De Wit, Mijnans; Sadiq, Pavlidis, Van Brederode

Subs: Dantas, Goes, Goudmijn, Kasius, Martins Indi, Mihailovic, Odgaard, Owuso-Oduro, Poku, Van Bommel, Verhuist

Aston Villa: Martinez; Cash, Carlos, Lenglet, Digne; Tielemans, Kamara, Luiz; McGinn, Watkins, Bailey

Subs: Olsen, Marschall, Konsa, Traore, Torres, Chambers, Diaby, Zaniolo, Duran, Dendoncker