Taylor Harwood-Bellis is set to make his Aston Villa debut against Coventry in the Carabao Cup after a £30m move from Southampton. Unai Emery believes 'his time is coming' for the 24-year-old defender, who has waited patiently for his chance following injuries to Pau Torres and Ian Maatsen. Villa's defence has been under pressure, conceding 22 shots against Nottingham Forest in a 2-1 defeat.

The untried backline will face Matteo Ruggeri and Harwood-Bellis at the CBS Arena, with Victor Lindelof expected to be rested. Harwood-Bellis brings ball-playing qualities, averaging 67.6 passes per game at Southampton last season, though he struggled with four errors leading to goals as they finished bottom of the Premier League. Emery must balance integrating new signings with securing quick results after Villa's poor start, using flexibility from Lamare Bogarde and Boubacar Kamara to cover defensive needs.