Bournemouth v Aston Villa: Fringe players aim to make their mark in Carabao Cup

Villa’s first Carabao Cup fixture helped kickstart their season.

The second offers a chance for those players still waiting to make their mark in Unai Emery’s rebuild to put forward a case for seeing more action.

Leon Goretzka, Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Alejandro Garnacho will all be hoping to start Wednesday’s fourth round tie at Bournemouth.

For Goretzka and Garnacho, it would represent their full debuts but while both have needed to be patient during their early months at the club, their circumstances are very different.

Goretzka’s campaign was always likely to be something of a slow burner, considering he did not officially sign until after it had started.

A knee injury sustained in his first week at Bodymoor Heath further hampered his progress.

Yet the Germany international has now come off the bench in four straight matches since returning to fitness.

Already, Emery has trusted his experience when Villa have been holding on to one-goal leads against Newcastle and Manchester City. There is a firm belief the seven-time Bundesliga winner will have a big role to play as the season progresses.

The same cannot be said yet for Garnacho, who since joining on a season-long loan from Chelsea has been limited to just five substitute appearances totalling just 60 minutes.

The 22-year-old’s history guarantees him attention and his failure to even get onto the pitch during last month’s 3-1 third round win at Coventry, the first of six victories in seven matches for Villa, was one of the talking points of the night.

Rarely can so many questions have been asked in press conferences about a player who has featured so little.

The three-week international break was viewed by many around the Argentine as a step forward. Emery praised Garnacho’s effort and his substitute appearance in last week’s 3-1 Champions League win over Viking, where he was a whisker away from scoring, was lauded as his best moment so far in a Villa shirt by the boss.

Yet it still wasn’t enough to warrant a place in the matchday squad against City three days later, an indication of just how much further the winger has to go.

Taylor Harwood-Bellis is another who will feel disappointed at his lack of playing time but the defender can at least take comfort in the fact he is a permanent signing. Emery has already promised his time will come.

The 24-year-old’s only appearance since joining from Southampton for £30million came at Coventry. He will get another chance to impress on the south coast.

In attack, Brian Madjo is in line to make just his second Villa start and first since the European Super Cup. The 17-year-old’s performance against Paris Saint-Germain that night was cause for huge excitement and he has been waiting some time to follow it up.

Emery’s biggest selection headache is in defence, where Ian Maatsen is his only available left-back.

The trip to Coventry came at a time when Villa really needed a win to lift the mood. They head to Bournemouth with their season having picked up serious momentum but in a competition always at the bottom of the manager’s priorities, the strength of their squad will now be tested.