Aston Villa and PSG will go head-to-head at Salzburg Stadion to determine who will claim the coveted 2026 UEFA Super Cup. Unai Emery’s side will be without key players such as Ollie Watkins and Ezri Konsa, who are still enjoying their rest period following their participation in the 2026 World Cup.
“They are not here – Konsa, Watkins and Martinez because they finished their season on 19th July and I gave them four weeks to rest, it’s completely necessary,” the manager said via the team’s official website.
In his comments, Emery also mentioned his goalkeeper, as Emiliano Martinez will also miss this match for the same reason. The manager lamented their absences: “Of course, if they were here, maybe we could have more chances.”
Aston Villa’s predicted XI
With new faces such as recently signed Alejandro Garnacho, alongside several of the heroes from that historic final against Freiburg, these are the 11 players Unai Emery would field to face PSG.
Head coach Unai Emery of Aston Villa FC.
Marco Bizot; Ian Maatsen, Pau Torres, Victor Lindelöf, Matty Cash; João Gomes, Boubacar Kamara; Alejandro Garnacho, Emiliano Buendía, John McGinn; Tammy Abraham.
The absence of Watkins and Konsa
The absence of both Ollie Watkins and Ezri Konsa severely undermines Aston Villa’s backbone ahead of the Super Cup clash. Missing Watkins deprives Unai Emery’s side of its main focal point in attack, as the striker tallied 19 goals and 5 assists in 53 appearances across all competitions during the 2025–26 season.
Meanwhile, Konsa’s absence leaves a massive void in Villa’s central defense, where the English defender logged over 3,000 minutes as the defensive anchor throughout the campaign. Without their top goalscorer and defensive leader, Villa will face an uphill battle to contain PSG’s dynamic attack while generating enough counter-attacking threat to claim the trophy.
Seeking their second UEFA Super Cup title
Aston Villa enter the 2026 UEFA Super Cup seeking to add a second Super Cup to their continental cabinet, building upon a proud European heritage that began with their famous 1981–82 European Cup triumph and their subsequent 1982 UEFA Super Cup victory over Barcelona.
Following decades of European campaigns—which also included a UEFA Intertoto Cup title in 2001—the Villans reached new heights by claiming the 2025–26 UEFA Europa League. Now boasting four major UEFA honours, Unai Emery’s side aims to further cement its historic international legacy by lifting the trophy once again.
