Aston Villa boss Dean Smith will tap his squad's depth for their Carabao Cup clash at Crewe Alexandra.

Summer signings Ezri Konsa, Matt Targett and Marvelous Nakamba are pushing to make their debuts for the club, while Henri Lansbury could make his first appearance of the campaign.

Smith will also assess the fitness of Jonathan Kodjia before deciding whether the striker is ready to feature, after missing the last fortnight with a sprained ankle.

“I understand the fans want to see new players as soon as possible but, as I say, you've got to earn the shirt," explained the boss.

“The players know they need to be good to keep hold of their shirt because of the quality of the squad we've got."