Spaniard Ready For Villa Fixture!
Last updated : 08 February 2008 By Footy Mad - Editor
His availability is timely with emergency left-back Charles N'Zogbia suspended.
Mark Viduka could start after returning from a calf injury as a substitute last weekend, while Habib Beye and Abdoulaye Faye are back in contention following their return from the African Nations Cup. However, striker Obafemi Martins is out with an ankle problem suffered while playing in the tournament for Nigeria.
Aston Villa's leading scorer Gabriel Agbonlahor is a major doubt for the Saturday lunchtime clash with Kevin Keegan's Newcastle.
Seven goal Agbonlahor is struggling to overcome the hamstring injury he picked up in the 2-1 defeat at Fulham which forced him to withdraw from the England squad for the mid-week friendly with Switzerland.
Villa will also check on midfielder Stiliyan Petrov who missed Bulgaria's mid-week international against Northern Ireland with a bruised toe.
But winger Ashley Young will be available to face the Magpies after serving a one match suspension for incurring five bookings this season. And central defender Curtis Davies is expected to have recovered from the knee injury sustained at Craven Cottage.
ASTON VILLA (from): Carson, Taylor, Sorensen, Mellberg, Laursen, Davies, Knight, Bouma, Petrov, Gardner, Reo-Coker, Barry, Berger, Osbourne, Young, Maloney, Carew, Harewood, Moore, Agbonlahor, Routledge.
NEWCASTLE (from): Given, Harper, Forster, Carr, Beye, Enrique, Cacapa, Taylor, Faye, Edgar, Butt, Smith, Milner, Duff, Emre, Barton, LuaLua, Owen, Viduka, Ameobi, Carroll.