Manchester City midfielder James McAtee, 22, is no longer a target for Bayer Leverkusen, with the Bundesliga side set to sign Argentina playmaker Emiliano Buendia, 28, from Aston Villa. (Florian Plettenberg, external)
A divided Petrov family for Aston Villa v Celticpublished at 18:11 28 January
18:11 28 January
Stiliyan Petrov spent a combined 14 years at Aston Villa and Celtic, but it is not just his own playing career that means he has divided loyalties when it comes to their Champions League meeting at Villa Park.
The former Bulgaria midfielder tells The Football News Show why his sons' allegiances could create a headache in the Petrov household on Wednesday.
Emery wary of 'prestigious' Celticpublished at 16:57 28 January
16:57 28 January
Jack Herrall BBC Sport Scotland
Image source, SNS
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery says his side are facing a "fantastic coach" and "prestigious club" when they host Brendan Rodgers' Celtic in the Champions League on Wednesday.
The Spaniard has won two of his three previous games against Celtic, with his PSG side winning 7-1 and 5-0 in Champions League meetings in 2017.
He also faced Celtic as manager of Spartak Moscow in 2012 when an injury-time goal from Georgios Samaras gave the Scottish side a historic first away win in the group stage.
"It doesn't matter!" Emery said when asked how those games had finished.
"Brendan is a fantastic coach, he showed here in Leicester.
"The last matches we played together was when he was at Leicester and it was always very difficult to beat the team he was managing.
"With PSG it was a different moment, we won but it was different teams."
Both sides have already secured a play-off spot in the new-look league phase and a win could still lift either of them into an automatic qualification spot, with Villa currently a point better off than Celtic and only outside the top eight on goal difference.
"Tomorrow we will respect them like they deserve and they are a winning team, their mentality is usually winning matches in their league," Emery added.
"They are going to play feeling confident and trying to face us feeling they can be close to us as well.
"I know because I respect and analyse them. They have good players and a good coach, the club is a prestigious club and the players feel they are a team to play in Europe."
Ramsey hopes for 'pinch me moment'published at 15:57 28 January
15:57 28 January
Image source, Getty Images
Walking out to the Champions League music again will be a "pinch me moment" for Jacob Ramsey, who will be hoping to help Aston Villa automatically qualify for a place in the knockout stages.
Speaking before Wednesday's game against Celtic, Ramsey said: "Any Champions League game is always big, especially at Villa Park.
"We need three points for a chance of automatic qualification. It will be a tough match, Celtic fans will bring atmosphere and so will Villa fans.
"From where I've come from, the academy when I was eight, to play [in the] Champions League at 23, at Villa Park, with family and friends in the stadium, before the game I'm sure when the music and anthem come on I'll be looking to family and friends - it's a pinch me moment, then after that - focus on the game."
Ramsey scored his first goal for Villa since September against West Ham on Sunday and after a spell on the sidelines he said it was "really good to get the feeling again".
"I hadn't scored in a while at Villa Park, the past 12 months I've had three/four big injuries, but when you come back from injury it takes three/four games to get the rhythm back and I'm doing that now," said Ramsey.
It's now almost five years since the Englishman made his debut for Doncaster Rovers against Tranmere on a loan move from Villa. He remembers the "terrible" pitch on that February day in 2020 and notes that a Champions League night offers a "completely different" environment.
"Five years later I'm playing Champions League - which shows how quickly football and life can change - I hope tomorrow brings a good moment like five years ago," he said.
"I'm still only 23, I'm still young in the game and I've played a lot of football for my age. One minute you're 10/10 the next you're 3/10. I try to keep a level head and stay humble as football can change so quickly."
Emery eases fears over Villa's defensive crisis published at 15:06 28 January
15:06 28 January
Nick Mashiter BBC Sport football news reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Unai Emery has backed Aston Villa to cope with their defensive crisis before their crunch Champions League game with Celtic.
Ezri Konsa is Villa's only fit centre-back with Pau Torres out with a broken foot and Tyrone Mings a major injury doubt to face Celtic at Villa Park Wednesday.
Mings came off in tears in Sunday's 1-1 draw with West Ham but Emery hopes he has an outside chance of facing the Scottish champions.
"If Tyrone Mings is available he will play. We have injured players but this is something everyone has," said Emery.
"We had Diego Carlos, he wanted to leave and he was pushing us to let him leave. Even we wanted to replace him but we couldn't do both at the same time.
"We had to accept it because the circumstances come like that. We have to work, prepare, believe and be ready. I believe we have the players we have in the squad."
Left-back Lucas Digne played as centre-back for over 50 minutes in the draw with the Hammers after replacing Mings.
Emery added: "Of course we are playing on Sunday, tomorrow, on Saturday. We have players injured but it's a new objective for players getting less minutes. I want to get into the top eight because it's a good opportunity."
Emery on Mings' injury, Celtic and automatic qualificationpublished at 14:33 28 January
14:33 28 January
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has been speaking to the media before Wednesday's Champions League game against Celtic at Villa Park (kick-off 20:00 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
The club "will see this afternoon" how Tyrone Mings is after the defender was substituted in the first half of Sunday's draw with West Ham, with Emery stating "if he is available he will play" and "it's not a big injury".
The manager said Lucas Digne is also an option to play at centre-back "in case we need - like Sunday".
Lamare Bogarde has been training with the squad but Emery said "we are thinking about letting him leave on loan - he needs more experience to be ready to play with us".
On Jacob Ramsey: "It's been tough for him this year and last, not being consistent and playing different circumstances. We believe he can recover again - his good form and scoring on Sunday is good for his confidence. Last week he was telling us he was not feeling strong playing three matches in a row."
On Celtic Emery said: "They are a very prestigious club - they won the European Cup as well. It is a special match for the supporters."
Villa sit in ninth position in the Champions League table and Emery said: "We have 13 points with the possibility to be in the top eight - we are doing fantastic in the Champions League this year."
He added: "It's not in our hands but other teams as well have to win tomorrow. I want to play the match and enjoy it with our supporters - we are excited and motivated. At the end of the match we will watch the other results."
On if it would be good to not have two extra play-off games: "It could be good if we are in the top eight to rest, try to recover players and in training - I want to get into the top eight because it's a good opportunity."
Aston Villa v Celtic: Did you know?published at 12:34 28 January
12:34 28 January
Image source, Getty Images
Aston Villa and Celtic will meet for the first time; the Villans' only previous European fixture against a fellow British club came in qualifying for the 2023-24 Conference League, winning 8-0 on aggregate against Hibernian.
Based on the quality of shots on target faced (via expected goals on target), only Girona's Paulo Gazzaniga (+5.1) has prevented more goals than Aston Villa's Emiliano Martinez in the Champions League this season (+4.7 - four conceded from 8.7 xGoT).
Overall, the Villa goalkeeper has saved 31 of the 35 shots on target he has faced (88.6%).
Villa and Chelsea's January windows intertwinepublished at 08:54 28 January
08:54 28 January
Nizaar Kinsella BBC Sport football news reporter
Image source, Getty Images
In the last 24 hours, Axel Disasi and Joao Felix's exits from Stamford Bridge have risen up the Chelsea news agenda.
Chelsea have reportedly had contact from Aston Villa and Wolves for defender Axel Disasi.
It is understood that Villa is the preferred destination to Disasi, who joined Chelsea 18 months ago in a £38.5m move from Monaco.
However, Felix's situation is less clear and could be a function of Villa holding historic interest in him.
Speaking of historic interest, could Villa striker Jhon Duran somehow be roped into the situation - having long been a target of transfer bosses at Chelsea?
Gossip: Buendia on verge of Leverkusen loanpublished at 08:06 28 January
08:06 28 January
Argentina midfielder Emiliano Buendia, 28, is on the verge of joining German champions Bayer Leverkusen from Aston Villa on loan. (Florian Plettenberg, external)
Chelsea and Portugal forward Joao Felix, 25, also interests Aston Villa but they would only be able to take one player on loan from Stamford Bridge. (Talksport, external)
Villa are also in talks with 27-year-old Villarreal and Argentina defender Juan Foyth. (Telegraph, external)
Villa and Colombia striker Jhon Duran, 21, is a 100m euro (£84m) target for Saudi Arabia side Al-Nassr as they look for a new strike partner for Cristiano Ronaldo. (Football Transfers, external)
Selling Duran 'would be irresponsible'published at 18:03 27 January
18:03 27 January
David Michael Fan writer
Image source, Getty Images
In modern football, where fans often obsess over profit and sustainability rules and transfer fees, it is bizarre that some Aston Villa supporters are happily entertaining the idea of offloading Jhon Duran this transfer window.
For a team fighting on three fronts - the Champions League, FA Cup, and Premier League - having two strikers is a bare minimum. Villa's squad depth has been stretched thin in past seasons and letting go of Duran now would be seen as irresponsible, considering there is a matter of days left to replace him.
His goals - mainly from the bench - have been invaluable, particularly in Europe where, without them, Villa would likely be scrapping just to get into the play-offs rather than having the chance to qualify for the knockout stages automatically.
Duran has provided an X-factor for this stuttering Villa team - seven league goals way above his expected goals (xG) figure of 4.86, while in the Champions League with an xG of only 0.9, he has produced three memorable crackers.
While Ollie Watkins leads the line admirably and is Villa's top scorer in the league (10), a Watkins-only attack has, at times, misfired, with striker leading the 'Big Chances Missed' in the league with 19.
By his own admission, Unai Emery has struggled to find a way to play both players together, but he perhaps must try harder considering how Villa can be one-dimensional in their approach to chasing games.
The idea of parting with a 21-year-old talent with immense potential feels short-sighted. Sure, if Villa fail to secure Champions League football next season, Duran might be the first name on the transfer list to balance the books, given reported interest from PSG, Real Madrid, and Al Nassr. But, as things stand, Villa need him and Emery certainly wants him to stay.
"Some circumstances are not helping us to focus 100%," reflected the Villa boss in a post-West Ham interview. "Jhon Duran is our player and I am happy with him. I want him here. I want him here with us."
Henry: Brilliant Villa performance up until Tyrone Mings' injury. After that, we lacked leadership and purpose. Lucas Digne did his best but was very shaky on the ball. A point in the end is something to be happy with. Villa need a senior centre back replacement as soon as possible to try and save the season as letting Carlos go without getting a replacement centre-back in first seems criminal. Big effort now needed against Celtic on Wednesday!
Ian: Villa fell apart when Mings went off. Usual poor passing and giving the ball away. We need better performances if we are to achieve a European spot. Looks like the normal fade away at the tail end of the season.
Damien: Really disappointing, especially after scoring early instead of conceding early as we have been lately. The attack was so disjointed for most of the game and the players looked weary and hopeless. Boubacar Kamara was the only bright spot again. We seem to suffer a drop off both pre and post-Champions League matches which is worrying.
David: The first 10 minutes showed just how good we can be but it was downhill from there. When Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers went off, our ability to retain the ball up the pitch disappeared. The cameo from Donyell Malen was promising though.
West Ham fans
Ben: Absolutely brilliant second-half performance from a threadbare squad. Lucas Paqueta, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Tomas Soucek and Oliver Scarles were all tremendous. Great point and we deserved more. The wizard is weaving his magic. Front-foot football has returned to West Ham. Keep it up.
Mike: Gritty and determined effort from the boys. Paqueta was different class today - where's that player been all season? Let's hope his injury isn't too bad. We'd have won this by a long way if we hadhad a top-class number nine.
Mark: How Paqueta played up front had shades of Cantona. Wan-Bissaka was man of the match. Ran his socks off - what a player. Encouraging second half!
Barry: We started poorly, way too open. We conceded and was lucky for that to not increase. But, we worked our way back into the game and was well worth the point we got. Paqueta was immense on his own, holding the ball up and bringing players in. It is a good point away to Villa.
Mings to be back sooner than expected?published at 09:02 27 January
09:02 27 January
Image source, Getty Images
Tyrone Mings has released a positive update on the injury he sustained against West Ham.
Shortly after Sunday's draw against the Hammers he took to Instagram to write: "I've had some serious knee injuries, this isn't one of them".
Gossip: Villa keen to bolster defencepublished at 07:52 27 January
07:52 27 January
Aston Villa are in talks to to sign Argentina defender Juan Foyth, 27, from Villarreal after failing to bring in French defender Loic Bade, 24, from Sevilla. (Talksport), external
Chelsea's French centre-back Axel Disasi, 26, is also a target for Aston Villa as they try to bring in a defender before the winter transfer window closes. (Football Insider), external
Argentina midfielder Emiliano Buendia, 28, has agreed a one-year contract extension to his current deal with Aston Villa, which was due to run out in 2026, amid interest from Germany, Italy and Saudi Arabia. (Athletic), external
'We want to play in Europe' - Emerypublished at 19:24 26 January
19:24 26 January
Image source, Getty Images
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery, speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "They were pushing and got into our box and scored one goal. We didn't feel strong or the fresh legs to recover or dominate or try to score.
"We have circumstances like the injury of Tyrone Mings and we don't have another proper centre-back."
On Mings' injury: "I don't know. Tomorrow we will test him and hopefully, it is not a lot. Things like that are punishing us.
"We started the second part of the season with two wins and two draws. We are very ambitious and we want more.
"We have to keep going and focus on Wednesday, recover some players, and try to use the last week in the transfer window. We have to get our performances quality. We want to play in Europe."
Aston Villa 1-1 West Ham: Did you know?published at 18:56 26 January
18:56 26 January
Image source, Getty Images
After his assist for Jacob Ramsey, Ollie Watkins became the second Aston Villa player to be directly involved in 100+ Premier League goals (61 goals, 39 assists) after with Gabriel Agbonlahor.
Watkins reached the century in just 169 appearances - 108 fewer than Agbonlahor (277).
Aston Villa 1-1 West Ham - send us your thoughtspublished at 18:36 26 January
Sutton's predictions: Aston Villa v West Hampublished at 12:30 26 January
12:30 26 January
Aston Villa are eighth in the Premier League and ninth in the Champions League, so their season is hardly a disaster - they just look a little bit flat at times.
Their striker situation is something that Villa boss Unai Emery has got to sort out because he put Jhon Duran on to play with Ollie Watkins in the second half against Monaco, and they are not playing well together
I don't know if that is an ego thing, where both strikers want to be the main man, but they both need to have a think about what benefits the team.
As a former striker myself, I know how other strikers want to be fed, and how to have an understanding to create situations, but that does not seem to be happening - Watkins and Duran are not connecting or clicking, which is a worry.
For a partnership to work, you have got to understand your role in the team and how sometimes one of you has got to sacrifice yourself.
Believe it or not, I was pretty good at realising that, where I was in the pecking order, and how to adapt my game. There are people out there who would say I was unselfish and a team player, and I wouldn't argue with that.
I know there is a different view because I listen to my old strike-partner Alan Shearer speaking to Erling Haaland about how you have to be single-minded in front of goal.
You do, you have to be selfish when it comes to taking chances. But football is a team game and sometimes you have to be prepared to adapt and roll your sleeves up - Shearer always did it - and try to play roles that you don't necessarily want to play, for the good of the team.
When Aston Villa's squad is stretched and a little bit fatigued, Watkins and Duran should be capable enough, and have enough understanding of how to feed each other, because strikers know how to do it.
Not doing it is a bit of a blot on the copybooks of both players. They are both very talented players, but they need to work this out for the good of the team. Maybe Emery needs to whack some Brazilian music on in training to sort them out?
Seriously, though, this is a crucial time in Villa's season and I think they will get past West Ham.
Graham Potter's side were jammy when they beat Fulham last week, but I don't see them being lucky enough to beat Villa.
