Carney Chukwuemeka will make just his second start of the season for Aston Villa against Burnley on Saturday, The Birmingham Mail's Ashley Preece has predicted. 

The lowdown

Chukwuemeka's only previous Premier League start this term came in the 1-1 draw with Brentford back in August.

He then watched on from the sidelines until returning to the fray as a substitute in the 2-1 defeat against Manchester City at the start of this month.

The 18-year-old's runout at Norwich City in midweek only lasted seven minutes, but it was enough time for him to tee-up Ollie Watkins for a late goal.

Chukwuemeka, who's been on Villa's books since 2016, is only valued at £2.25million by Transfermarkt.

The latest

Preece thinks that Ashley Young could drop out of the starting line-up, pointing out that the 36-year-old has played 220 minutes in the space of ten days.

Jacob Ramsey could be pushed into a left wing position, but he reckons it's more likely that Gerrard will turn to Chukwuemeka following his 'brilliant' assist against Norwich.

The verdict

In truth, Chukwuemeka didn't make too much of an impression against Brentford. He only completed 13 passes during his 63 minutes on the pitch, and he failed to register a shot or create a chance (via SofaScore).

But having caught the eye at Carrow Road, he could well be in line for gametime over the busy festive period. Villa are due to play four matches in the next 15 days, and that could force Gerrard to rotate.

What's more, handing opportunities to the 'supremely gifted' and 'imposing' youngster may convince him that Villa Park is the best place for him.

In other news, fans fumed at this news from the club.