Wanderers are back at the UniBol as they host Premier League side Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup second round.

Ian Evatt’s men reached this stage following an emphatic 5-1 victory against Salford City in the opening round.

Team news

George Thomason is back from suspension but Jon Dadi Bodvarsson misses out after picking up a thigh strain.

Josh Sheehan, Lloyd Isgrove and Eoin Toal are all set to feature for the B Team against Blackpool at Bamber Bridge.

Steven Gerrard is set to make changes from the weekend but says he will name a “strong” side against the Whites.

Opposition lowdown

Villa brought in several fresh faces over the summer including Philippe Coutinho, who spent time on loan at Villa Park last term.

Gerrard’s side are currently 13th in the Premier League table, having taken three points from their opening three fixtures.

The Midlands outfit suffered a 3-1 defeat against Crystal Palace in their last outing despite Ollie Watkins’ opener.

Head-to-head

Wanderers have faced Villa 165 times in their history, with a record of 60 wins, 40 draws and 65 defeats.

The sides haven't met since April 2019 when goals from Jack Grealish and Tammy Abraham gave the Midlands club a 2-0 victory, which saw the Whites relegated from the Championship.

Wanderers’ last win in the fixture came in March 2018, with Adam Le Fondre getting the decisive goal in a 1-0 victory.

Predicted line-up

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