---
title: "Tottenham predicted lineup vs Aston Villa as De Zerbi chooses Xavi Simons replacement"
canonical: "https://readtottenham.com/2026/05/01/tottenham-predicted-lineup-vs-aston-villa-as-tel-replaces-simons-de-zerbi/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Aditya Singh"
section: "Features"
published: "2026-05-01T06:15:00Z"
modified: "2026-05-01T06:15:00Z"
---

# Tottenham predicted lineup vs Aston Villa as De Zerbi chooses Xavi Simons replacement

At a glance:

- Tottenham set to face Aston Villa on Sunday
- Spurs need to get a result
- They will be without 2 key players

**Tottenham Hotspur will travel to Villa Park to face Aston Villa in a crucial Premier League contest on Sunday, May 3.**

Spurs are 18th in the Premier League table, two points behind West Ham and five behind Nottingham Forest. They ended their 15-game winless streak against Wolves last week, but need to maintain that momentum.

While they won, Roberto De Zerbi faced two big blows in the Wolves game. Xavi Simons suffered an ACL injury and is out for the season. Meanwhile, Dominic Solanke also appeared to sustain a hamstring injury. Hence, the Italian head coach doesn’t have many players to pick from.

## **Tottenham Predicted XI against Aston Villa**

### **GK: Antonin Kinsky**

De Zerbi said before the Wolves game that Guglielmo Vicario could be back in training this week. However, Antonin Kinsky has delivered strong performances in three consecutive games.

> Antonin Kinsky is your Player of the Match following his 🔝 performance and clean sheet against Wolves 👏\
> \
> 📈 [@HSBC\_Sport](https://twitter.com/HSBC_Sport?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) [pic.twitter.com/7wQzjpKkTg](https://t.co/7wQzjpKkTg)
>
> — Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) [April 26, 2026](https://twitter.com/SpursOfficial/status/2048371517151490462?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

He also won the Spurs’ POTM award against Wolves and is likely to keep his place against Villa.

### **Defense: Pedro Porro, Kevin Danso, Micky van de Ven, Djed Spence**

This is the best back four Tottenham have available at the moment, considering injuries. Their defense put in an average performance against Wolves and will need to improve against Villa.

**Also Read:** [Key Tottenham player reaches ‘full agreement’ for summer transfer](https://readtottenham.com/2026/04/30/transfer-rumours-tottenham-player-reaches-full-agreement-to-leave-vicario/)

Meanwhile, De Zerbi said that he hoped Destiny Udogie could be available against Aston Villa. It could be a big boost if he is available, but he would still be unlikely to start.

### **Midfield: Rodrigo Bentancur, Yves Bissouma, Conor Gallagher**

Again, it doesn’t appear De Zerbi will be keen to change his midfield combination after two good performances. Bentancur and Bissouma have been excellent, while Gallagher also appears to be improving in his free role.

Moreover, with Archie Gray, Joao Palhinha, and Lucas Bergvall on the bench, Tottenham can make changes if things don’t go their way.

### **Attack: Mathys Tel, Richarlison, Randal Kolo Muani**

This is the area that will see the main changes from the Wolves clash. Many Tottenham fans would argue that Tel and Richarlison should have been regularly starting games anyway.

De Zerbi also said that Tel has “great attitude and great qualities” in his press conference. Now with Simons and Solanke’s injuries, Tel and Richarlison will likely start against Villa.

> We can confirm that Xavi Simons has ruptured the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in his right knee.\
> \
> The 23-year-old suffered the injury during the second half of our Premier League fixture at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.\
> \
> Xavi will undergo surgery in the coming weeks… [pic.twitter.com/FUEf5VrZnx](https://t.co/FUEf5VrZnx)
>
> — Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) [April 27, 2026](https://twitter.com/SpursOfficial/status/2048673522415722730?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

Meanwhile, a rumor spread this week that Kolo Muani has suffered a hamstring injury. However, many Spurs insider journalists confirmed that this isn’t the case. Hence, he will likely keep his place on the right wing.

**Also Read:** [‘Special’ Tottenham youngster promoted to first-team ahead of crucial Aston Villa clash](https://readtottenham.com/2026/04/30/special-tottenham-youngster-promoted-to-first-team-before-villa-clash-melia/)

Tottenham finally got a major boost by beating Wolves, but also lost two key players. However, they don’t have time to dwell on it and must put in a good performance against Aston Villa.

With West Ham facing Brentford away and Nottingham Forest facing Chelsea away, this could be a big opportunity for Spurs to gain points over their rivals.