Unai Emery wants Villa to approach Friday’s FA Cup showdown with Cardiff as though they are playing “the best team in the world” as he looks to avoid reliving his Stevenage nightmare.

Emery confirmed Pau Torres and Ross Barkley both remain out through injury, while Matty Cash is close and will be assessed on Thursday. Tyrone Mings, Emiliano Martinez, Amadou Onana, Boubacar Kamara and Donyell Malen are also all doubts for the game.

Preview, team news, possible lineups, stats, prediction and TV channel and online streaming details for Aston Villa vs Cardiff in the FA Cup.

Aston Villa are preparing to host Cardiff City at home in the fifth round of the FA Cup this weekend. The former side faced a 4-1 defeat against Crystal Palace in their last game and would like to forget it to focus on the upcoming fixtures.

Cardiff City forward Isaak Davies says "there are memories to be made" for the players and fans as they prepare to take on Aston Villa in the FA Cup fifth round.

Aston Villa have been hit with a fresh injury crisis as manager Unai Emery confirmed that key players Emiliano Martinez, Tyrone Mings, and Matty Cash are all doubts for the FA Cup fifth-round tie

Unai Emery says he has become more ruthless in his team selection in a bid to end Villa’s chronic injury concerns.

Vying for a place in the FA Cup quarter-finals, Aston Villa and Cardiff City will clash in a Friday night fifth-round tie at Villa Park. Though the hosts have been below their best in the Premier League, they are still on the hunt for silverware; meanwhile, their counterparts from the Welsh capital are intent on causing an upset.

Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea have already been knocked out and Villa beat Premier League rivals West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur in the previous two rounds. But Emery said:

Aston Villa plays Cardiff City in the FA Cup this week. Get the latest team news, projected lineups and match predictions.