Emile Heskey faces a quick-fire reunion with his former club on Saturday as Aston Villa host Wigan.
Villa hoping to keep their top-four tilt on track against Latics
Emile Heskey faces a quick-fire reunion with his former club on Saturday as Aston Villa host Wigan.
Heskey only left the Latics last week, joining Villa in a £3.5million switch.
Having made a goalscoring debut for his new employers against Portsmouth in midweek the England international will be hoping to build on his impressive start to life in the Midlands.
The omens look good for the hosts, with Martin O'Neill's side currently in the middle of an 11-game unbeaten run in the Premier League.
They have also dropped just two points in their last eight fixtures and remain well on course to secure UEFA Champions League football for next season.
Villa have proven adept at grinding out results this season, with their last seven successes all coming by a single-goal margin.
History suggests Saturday's encounter is also likely to be a close contest, with Wigan's last four away games all ending in a 1-0 scoreline.
The Latics have fallen to that result in their last two games on the road, but have won one and drawn two of their three previous top-flight visits to Villa Park.
Steve Bruce's side have gone three games without a win to put a dent in their European push, but only one of their last seven meetings with Villa has ended as a home win so they may have reason to celebrate this weekend.
Young banned
O'Neill has no fresh injury concerns heading into the game, but is set to be without the services of key men.
Club captain Martin Laursen is still nursing a persistent knee problem and the commanding centre-half is expected to be out of action until March.
John Carew (back) and Wilfred Bouma (ankle) both came through 45 minutes of a behind-closed-doors friendly on Thursday, but both men are some way off full fitness.
Nigel Reo-Coker has a hamstring injury which will sideline him this weekend, but the former West Ham man is likely to be back in contention for Villa's trip to Blackburn next week.
Meanwhile, Ashley Young must serve the final game of his three-match suspension.
Valencia missing
Wigan boss Bruce must decide whether to keep faith with those who secured a commendable 1-1 draw with Liverpool on Wednesday or implement changes.
Antonio Valencia, who continues to be the subject of much transfer talk, definitely misses out with a hamstring complaint but he remains the only notable absentee.
Ben Watson is still not ready to be handed his debut after more than a month out of action, but Chris Kirland is pushing for a first team return after shaking off a back injury and Titus Bramble is back after a ban.
Bruce must also choose whether to stick with his all-Egyptian strike force of Amr Zaki and Mido or hand a first Premier League start to new signing Hugo Rodallega.
Possible starting XIs
Aston Villa: Friedel, Cuellar, Knight, Davies, L Young, Milner, Sidwell, Barry, Petrov, Agbonlahor, Heskey.
Wigan: Kirkland, Boyce, Bramble, Scharner, Figueroa, De Ridder, Brown, Cattermole, Taylor, Zaki, Mido.
