Unai Emery explains why he's happy for Aston Villa stars to keep giving him a headache

Whether to select loan star Rashford or top scorer Watkins up front is the biggest selection dilemma facing the boss ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final with Crystal Palace at Wembley.

Rashford has been preferred in six of the last eight matches, including the 3-0 quarter-final win at Preston in which he scored twice.

But Watkins was on the mark in an excellent all-round performance against Newcastle last weekend and has made clear his frustration at being on the bench.

Emery is delighted to have the problem of picking between the two.

He said: “In the squad, when you can select the players, you always need two strikers. And being versatile is still better. And Rashford is versatile. 

“I want players like those players. I like to share in our squad players with the same level they are showing us.

“My work, my job is to try to share both, to manage as a person, as a professional, as a tactical idea or my selection for each match with players in the squad like those players. 

“I want now the same problem I had in the last matches we played. Some players I have to decide if they are on the bench.”

Emery has a fully fit squad to choose from and several changes from the team which started Tuesday’s 2-1 defeat at Manchester City are expected, with skipper John McGinn among those returning to the line-up.  

The boss said: “Rotation is not because you are playing one match after, it's because you played one match before, because some players are tired or maybe they can get injured.

“We played on Tuesday a very hard match and we did very good work there. But, of course, after this match it is about how they are the players?

“Of course, tomorrow is a match where we will need the starting 11 players, the players as well in the bench to be ready to play. We are ready for 90 minutes, extra time, penalties.”