Aston Villa v Stoke preview

Team news ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash between Aston Villa and Stoke at Villa Park.

Last Updated: 22/04/11 at 15:00   

Delph: Fit after a groin injury

Delph: Fit after a groin injury

Aston Villa have a full strength squad available.

Midfielder Fabian Delph was the only previous absentee and he has recovered from a groin injury.

Villa are likely to be unchanged after collecting seven points from their previous three games to climb into the top half of the table.

Assistant boss Gary McAllister will take charge of the team while Gerard Houllier recovers from chest pains in hospital.

Stoke have no fresh injury concerns and boss Tony Pulis will select from the same squad which thrashed Bolton last weekend.

Stoke beat Wanderers 5-0 to reach the FA Cup final, in which they will face Manchester City, and Pulis has reported no lingering problems from the Wembley victory.

Striker John Carew, who was on the bench last Sunday, is fit having suffered recently with a back injury while Asmir Begovic could return in goal.

Villa (from): Friedel, Walker, Collins, Dunne, L. Young, Downing, Petrov, Makoun, A. Young, Agbonlahor, Bent, Marshall, Clark, Heskey, Pires, Albrighton, Reo-Coker, Cuellar, Delph.

Stoke (from): Begovic, Sorensen, Nash, Huth, Faye, Shawcross, Wilkinson, Whelan, Wilson, Pennant, Diao, Whitehead, Delap, Etherington, Pugh, Jones, Fuller, Walters, Carew.

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Premier League Fixtures

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Barclays Premier League

Position Team P GD PTS
1 Man Utd 38 43 89
2 Man City 38 32 78
3 Chelsea 38 36 75
4 Arsenal 38 35 73
5 Tottenham 38 20 72
6 Everton 38 15 63
7 Liverpool 38 28 61
8 West Brom 38 -4 49
9 Swansea 38 -4 46
10 West Ham 38 -8 46
11 Norwich 38 -17 44
12 Fulham 38 -10 43
13 Stoke City 38 -11 42
14 Southampton 38 -11 41
15 A Villa 38 -22 41
16 Newcastle 38 -23 41
17 Sunderland 38 -13 39
18 Wigan 38 -26 36
19 Reading 38 -30 28
20 QPR 38 -30 25

Updated Sun, 19 May 2013

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