Aston Villa v Bolton Premier League Preview: Heskey & Milner Doubts For Villans

Aston Villa v Bolton Wanderers Match Preview

Saturday 7th November 2009

7th placed Aston Villa host 15th placed Bolton Wanderers in their Premier League match at Villa Park on Saturday afternoon.

Aston Villa boss Marin O’Neill has only one win on the past six matches, and are still recoiling from their last-minute defeat to West Ham United in midweek, but his side could propel themselves to 4th place in the EPL with a win.

Aston Villa are without Villans skipper Stylian Petrov, who received his fifth booking of the season in the 2-1 defeat to West Ham Utd, plus defender Habib Beye, who received a red-card in the match for two bookable offences, so both players are suspended for the match against The Trotters.

O’Neill will give late fitness tests for striker Emile Heskey, who is suffering with a back injury, and midfielders Craig Gardner and James Milner, who are suffering with groin and calf injuries respectively.

Gabriel Agbonlahor, Ashley Young and John Carew are all fit and likely to feature against Gary Megson’s side.

Former Aston Villa defenders Gary Cahill and Zat Knight are both expected to start against their former team, but Bolton Wanderers boss Megson is without Jlloyd Samuel, who received a one-match suspension after seeing a straight red-card in Bolton’s 4-0 defeat to Chelsea, while Mustapha Riga and Danny Shittu are both going to undergo late-fitness tests before the match.

Bolton are still missing long-term absentees Joey O’Brien and Sean Davies with knee injuries.

But Bolton have Ivan Klasnic, Kevin Davies, Johan Elmander and Ricardo Gardner available for the match, which could see Bolton move up to 12th place with a win.

Aston Villa (team to be chosen from): Friedel, Guzan, Cuellar, L. Young, Collins, Dunne, Warnock, Shorey, Milner, Reo-Coker, Sidwell, Delph, Gardner, A Young, Agonlahor, Carew, Heskey, Delfouneso, Albrighton, Clark.

Bolton Wanderers (team to be chosen from): Jaaskelainen, Al Habsi, Ricketts, Steinsson, Knight, Cahill, A O'Brien, Robinson, M. Davies, Basham, Muamba, Cohen, McCann, Gardner, Taylor, K. Davies, Klasnic, Lee, Elmander.