Club Brugge vs. Aston Villa team news: Unai Emery makes three changes for Champions League opener

By Darren Plant | 08 Sep 2026 16:34, Last updated: 08 Sep 2026 16:50

Unai Emery has made three changes to his Aston Villa XI for Tuesday's Champions League fixture against Club Brugge.

With Villa having failed to score in three Premier League fixtures, there was the possibility of the Spaniard making widespread alterations for the game in Belgium.

Instead, he has kept the amount of changes down to three, with the return of Joao Gomes inevitable given that the midfielder is serving a domestic suspension.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka is handed a start at right-back, while Pau Torres also returns in the centre of the defence.

The injured Matty Cash, Tyrone Mings and Ross Barkley are the players to drop out of the team.

Nicolas Jackson continues to lead the line, with Emiliano Buendia seemingly being deployed as a number 10.

New signings Matteo Ruggeri, Alejandro Garnacho and Ibrahim Mbaye are only selected on the substitutes' bench.

Meanwhile, former West Ham United midfielder Freddie Potts has been selected in the Club Brugge side.

Head coach Ivan Leko has made just two alterations from the 1-0 victory at Lommel last time out.

Romeo Vermant and Mamadou Diakhon are the duo to miss out, with Carlos Forbs and Jan Virgili being brought into the team.

The Belgian giants have started the campaign with four wins from five league games, conceding just two goals.

Club Brugge XI: Sommer; Sabbe, Han-Beom, Mechele, Seys, Potts, Vetlesen, Vanaken, Forbes, Tresoldi, Virgili

Subs: Jackers, Vanden Driessche, Siquet, Spileers, Coulibaly, Tsawa, Lemarechal, Audoor, Diakhon, Vermant, Vasovic

Aston Villa XI: Suzuki: Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Torres, Maatsen; Kamara, Gomes; McGinn, Buendia, Hemmings; Jackson

Subs: Bizot, Wright, Mings, Barkley, Ruggeri, Garnacho, Abraham, Mbaye, Bogarde, Alysson

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