At 18, Senegalese forward Ibrahim Mbaye is set to be handed a start on Aston Villa’s left wing on Tuesday 3 November at Camp Nou, as they take on Barcelona in the Champions League, according to probable line-ups published by several media outlets.
A Champions League night at Camp Nou, and perhaps a baptism of fire for Ibrahim Mbaye. According to the probable line-ups reported by Bolavip, Gilabola.com and Le Matin, the 18-year-old forward is expected to be named in the starting XI on Aston Villa’s left wing for the trip to Barcelona on Tuesday 3 November at 17:00 (Argentina time), on matchday 4 of the competition.
The information remains a projection, with nothing official having leaked from the English club. The three outlets agree on the young Senegalese’s presence in the starting line-up put together by Unai Emery, the Aston Villa manager. Only Gilabola.com, however, specifies that he should be preferred to Alysson.
Emery’s plan according to Gilabola.com
According to Gilabola.com, Unai Emery is expected to drop Alysson to bring in Mbaye, shift John McGinn to the right and install Johan Manzambi as the number 10 behind Nicolas Jackson. The reshuffle would aim to exploit the young forward’s pace to break through a Barcelona defence the site describes as fragile.
That assessment of the Catalan back line is Gilabola.com’s own and is not an established fact. The prospect is nonetheless consistent with the recent output of the McGinn-Manzambi-Mbaye trio, which had been effective in the 6-0 thrashing of Fenerbahce, again according to the same outlet.
Villa flying, Barça in doubt
The European context favours the Villans. According to Gilabola.com, Aston Villa have won their first three European matches, against Club Brugge, Fenerbahce and Viking, scoring 12 goals. Bolavip, for its part, recalls the 3-1 win over Viking.
On the other side, Barcelona have just lost 2-4 to PSG, according to Bolavip. Contrasting momentum that could weigh on the approach to the match, without the sources establishing any direct link with Emery’s line-up choices.
Galatasaray next on the schedule
The trip to Camp Nou on Tuesday 3 November comes before another European fixture for Aston Villa: the visit of Galatasaray on Tuesday 24 November. The English club must therefore play two Champions League matches within a few weeks of each other, with or without Mbaye in the starting line-up.