Having secured a 3-1 win over the Belgian champions last week, Villa will welcome back forward Marco Asensio, midfielder Amadou Onana, and goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez for Wednesday’s return leg, all of whom missed Saturday’s Premier League victory over Brentford.
“(Asensio and Martinez) are both in the squad, and Onana is also coming back,” Emery stated at a news conference.
However, midfielder Ross Barkley, forward Donyell Malen, and defender Andres García still remain sidelined.
Villa are aiming for their first European Cup quarterfinal appearance in over 40 years, and Emery emphasized that they wouldn’t take their two-goal advantage for granted.
“The match can change so quickly. Our respect for them is immense,” the coach said.
“(We need) to stick to the same game plan. We’re ready to compete, even if there is extra time and penalties.”
Villa lifted the European Cup in 1982, and if they progress on Wednesday, they will face either six-time champions Liverpool or Paris Saint-Germain in the quarterfinals.
“The challenge we have in the Champions League is huge,” Emery added. “It’s something significant for the club and the supporters. It’s something for the history books and for us as professionals.”
“In order to do it, the challenge is to remember that anything can happen. We must keep the same mindset as before. The result is 3-1, but they can score, and we’ve experienced moments like against Celtic, when we were winning 2-0, and in five minutes, it was 2-2.”
