The injury problem with Aston Villa has gotten so bad that something called a Jonathan Hogg got a start today.
Aston Villa Vs. Manchester United: What’s A Jonathan Hogg?
The 21-year-old midfielder makes his first team debut today, with Villa's central midfield injuries forcing the Middlesbrough native into the starting XI. He is the only surprise in a Villa lineup that sees Gabriel Agbonlahor return from a long injury absence.
For Manchester United, Patrice Evra has been deemed fit for a team that's largely unchanged from the eleven that started at Eastlands. The formation's gone back to a 4-4-2, with Javier Hernández coming into the team for the suspended Paul Scholes. Wes Brown replaces the injured Rafael da Silva at right back, while Michael Carrick gets his second consecutive start.
The early results have been slightly discouraging for Villans. The kids are going a lot of running, but they're mostly chasing Manchester United passes. Thanks to a few curious giveaways from Ashley Young, Villa's had little meaningful possession. Thankfully for them, neither side has had a meaningful chance.
Now 14 minutes into the first half, they’re still scoreless at Villa Park.
Aston Villa XI (4-4-2) - Friedel / L Young, Dunne, Collins, Warnock / Albrighton, Bannan, Hogg, Downing / Young, Agbonlahor
Manchester United XI (4-4-2) - Van der Sar / Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra / Nani, Carrick, Fletcher, Park / Berbatov, Hernández
See More:
