Aston Villa vs Burnley preview, team news, kick-off, prediction

Team news and stats ahead of Aston Villa vs Burnley in the Premier League on Thursday evening (kick-off 6pm).

Team news

Aston Villa will be without the suspended Douglas Luiz and Matty Cash against Burnley, with both serving one-match bans for suspensions picked up against Wolves on Saturday.

The hosts may welcome back on-loan Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley, however, should he manage to shake off a hamstring problem.

Tom Heaton may return to the Villa squad for the first time since New Year's Day after an 11-month recovery from a severe knee injury.

Burnley are sweating over the fitness of Iceland winger Johann Berg Gudmundsson, who has been nursing a thigh injury but may be fit to travel.

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Their midfield duo of Jack Cork and Dale Stephens joined Phil Bardsley in his recovery from injury in the Clarets' U23 win over Reading earlier this week, but a return to first-team action may come too soon for all three.

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How to follow

Follow Aston Villa vs Burnley in our dedicated live match blog. Highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel shortly after the final whistle.

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Jones Knows prediction

Burnley are back to their bruising best - but how?

Two words: Ben Mee.

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There is a strong argument to be made that no one man is more important to their club's fortunes.

If you take out the yearly 5-0 drubbing at Manchester City, Burnley have conceded just one goal and taken eight points in the other four matches Mee has started. Without him in the first six games of the season, Sean Dyche's men took just one point from six games and conceded 12 times. He is a colossal figure and his axis with James Tarkowski and Nick Pope is among the best in the Premier League.

At the prices available, I am happy to have a Burnley win on my side (17/5 with Sky Bet) as I can see them shutting the door on Villa, who have stalled slightly without Barkley's influence, scoring just twice from open play in their last three fixtures.

JONES KNOWS PREDICTS: 0-1 (12/1 with Sky Bet)

Opta stats

• Aston Villa are looking to win consecutive top-flight matches against Burnley for the first time since November 1964, following their 2-1 win at Turf Moor in January this year.
• Burnley have won just one of their six Premier League meetings with Aston Villa (D3 L2), though that victory did come at Villa Park (1-0 in May 2015).
• Aston Villa haven't lost four consecutive home Premier League matches since April 2016 (six in a row), with three coming under Remi Garde and three under Eric Black. The last Villa manager to lose four in a row at Villa Park was Paul Lambert in January 2013.
• Burnley have failed to score in each of their last three away Premier League matches, last going four in a row without a goal on the road back in December 2016.
• Aston Villa won their first two home Premier League matches in 2020/21 but have since lost their last three. They could become the third top-flight team to win their first two home games of the season then lose their next four, after Nottingham Forest (1904/05) and Newcastle United (1953/54).
• Burnley have lost eight of their last 12 away league matches on Thursdays (W1 D3), last winning an away league game on Thursday in April 1961 against Birmingham City.
• Just 33% of Aston Villa's Premier League points this season have been won in home games (6/18), with the Villans losing each of their last three at Villa Park.
• Since the start of last season, Aston Villa have scored more winning goals in the 90th minute or later than any other Premier League side, with Anwar El Ghazi's late winner against Wolves last time out giving them their fourth such victory.

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