Roberto De Zerbi said his Albion starting XI was good enough to have beaten Chelsea.

But other players will come into the reckoning for Aston Villa on Saturday.

De Zerbi rested Lewis Dunk and Adam Webster and limited the minutes of players including Ansu Fati, Solly March, Mahmoud Dahoud and Kaoru Mitoma.

He said: “Okay, Buonanotte and Baleba (were born in) 2004.

“Lamptey, it was his first game sincee the injury last season.

“Dahoud and Mitoma couldn’t play 90 minutes and then Saturday in Birmingham another 90 minutes.

“In this moment I have to manage in a different way.

“We have to adapt, we have to improve.

“Young players have to progress quickly – Buonanotte, Baleba - because in football we don’t have time.

“I don’t want to make any excuses.

“It was the right first XI to win the game.

“I’m disappointed because this competition has finished and we came here to win the game."

De Zerbi hopes Evan Ferguson will come back into contention on Saturday after illness.