Barnsley vs Aston Villa. Sky Bet Championship.
Oakwell StadiumAttendance14,633.
Saturday 16 September 2017 17:37, UK
Barnsley will be without transfer deadline-day signing Gary Gardner in their televised home game against Aston Villa, live on Sky Sports Football from 5.15pm on Saturday.
Midfielder Gardner joined Barnsley from Villa on a season-long loan, but is nursing a nasty dead leg and is ineligible to face his parent club anyway. Defender Angus MacDonald will return to contention after serving a three-game ban, while winger Adam Hammill and on-loan Leicester midfielder Harvey Barnes are both expected to shake off knocks.
Lloyd Isgrove (foot), yet to feature this season, is back in full training and fellow midfielder Cameron McGeehan hopes to make his league debut after his late substitute's appearance in the midweek Carabao Cup win against Derby.
Aston Villa have midfielder Henri Lansbury available after they won an appeal against the red card he was shown in the Middlesbrough game. Lansbury faced a three-match ban after his dismissal but will now be in the squad for the game at Oakwell.
Boss Steve Bruce has concerns over the fitness of Mile Jedinak (groin) and Neil Taylor (shin) and the latter's possible absence would leave Villa without a recognised left-back. But Josh Onomah will be available after he missed the goalless draw with Boro due to a muscle problem.
Barnsley have never beaten Aston Villa at Oakwell in their entire history (D2 L7).
After losing none of their first 11 league games against the Tykes between 1936 and 1997, the Villans have lost two of their last three (D1).
Barnsley are one of two Championship clubs whose goals have been scored exclusively by British players (8) this season - Sheffield Wednesday are the other (9).
This is set to be Conor Hourihane's first league match at Oakwell since he left Barnsley for Aston Villa. In 57 previous Football League appearances at Oakwell, Hourihane has been involved 37 goals (15 goals, 22 assists).
Steve Bruce has ended on the losing side in all four previous league visits to Oakwell as a manager, with all defeats coming with different clubs - Sheffield United (1-2 in April 1999), Huddersfield Town (2-4 in September 1999), Birmingham City (0-1 in April 2007) and Hull City (0-2 in April 2013).
You look at the difference between the squads that Paul Heckingbottom and Steve Bruce have at their disposal and you can't envisage Aston Villa losing here.
But Villa have struggled so badly on the road for so long, and they will have been extremely disappointed to draw their last two games at home - without even scoring a goal.
Oakwell is a tough place to go and Heckingbottom will have his side fired up in front of the Sky cameras. I fancy an entertaining draw, especially if Jonathan Kodjia is back in the starting line-up for Villa.
Prutton predicts: 2-2 with Jonathan Kodjia to score first (50/1 with Sky Bet)
