Injury Latest

Good news for us coming out today that we could have as many as 5 players back from injury for the Wigan game on Saturday.  Darren Bent, Emile Heskey, Jermaine Jenas, Ciaran Clark and Carlos Cuellar are all back in training and hopeful of making the squad this weekend.

• Bent has apparently overcome his groin injury that kept him out of the QPR game but he thought he had shaken it off one time already so it will be interesting to see if there is any reaction on Saturday.
• Heskey is also back after his hamstring strain, though I'm hoping this doesn't mean he will be taking back his place in the team at the expense of someone more worthy.
• Jenas should finally make his debut at last! I've been really looking forward to seeing him in our midfield to see if he can add that spark that we have been lacking.
• Clark has recovered from a knee injury but this just means that our bench will look a bit stronger as there is no chance he will get a start.
• Finally Cuellar is making a return!!! I rate him highly but sadly I see no way of him breaking the current partnership at the back.  I agree with the saying "If it's not broke, don't fix it" and I think this statement should apply here.

This is what Mcleish had to say:

"Darren trained today which is good news. The injury wasn't as bad as first feared so it will be good to get him back in action and unleash him again.
"Emile will train later this week with the group. He has already started preliminary training but he will be with us when we are preparing for the weekend game so he will be available.
"The good news on Jermaine is that he started training yesterday and he had a good session.
"He had another good session today and looked very lively and he is ready to go as well.
"James played through the pain barrier and was hobbling about a wee bit at the end of the QPR game but he is one of these that will run through brick walls.
"We feared the worst afterwards but the scan was good and there was nothing broken.
"He has suffered severe bruising and his ankle is a little bit swollen but we think he might make it at the weekend.
"Ciaran Clark is another one who will join us later and will be available for the weekend."

Full Time - QPR 1-1 Villa

So match day is here, live on sky sports and free to view for this weekend thanks to the Sky Sports free weekend.  Much debate over the starting line up after the few injuries we have had over the past week or so.  However the wait is now over and this is the team that will start the match:

Given, Hutton, Collins, Dunne, Warnock, Petrov, Delph, Ireland, N'Zogbia, Bannan, Agbonlahor
Subs: Guzan, Beye, Lowry, Gardner, Albrighton, Delfouneso, Weimann

So then, Stephen Ireland starts his first Premier League game of the season.  I guess that means moving Bannan to the wing with Ireland behind Gabby.  For me this is a good choice as I am looking forward to see what Ireland can really do on the main stage.  I can see a much higher work rate from him recently and I really hope he can prove the doubters wrong because there is no denying that on his day he is a top player.

Also would love to see Gardner and Weimann get some minutes today.  I rate them both very highly and Im sure the fact that QPR don't know much them means they could cause a few problems due to the unpredictability of them.

Full Time - 1-1

90+3 mins - 1-1.  Heartbreak for Villa.  Dunne own goal, could do nothing about it

90+2 mins - Albighton wins a corner

90 mins - Traore sent off for a second yellow for a flying tackle on Albrighton.  5 mins of added time to withstand

88 mins - Gabby with a shot deflected wide.  Chance to waste a couple of minutes

87 mins - Another penalty shout for a Hutton handball not given.  Would have been harsh

85 mins - Finally Zogs is withdrawn!!! Time for Weimann to show what he can do in the last 5 mins although I can't help but feeling it's going to be all about defending now

84 mins - Villa giving away a couple of cheap free kicks in very good positions

80 mins - Zogs must come off, he's had another shocker

72 mins - Albrighton on for goal scorer Bannan.  Not what I would have done but hey ho, I'll judge after 90 minutes

71 mins - Hutton blocks a goalbound header with his arm, let off for Villa

70 mins - Petrov booked for a rash challenge on Wright-Phillips

68 mins - What was I saying??? Given pulls one out of the top drawer to deny Wright-Phillips

65 mins - Villa starting to play one touch football, that's right, one touch football and it's a million times better to route 1 rubbish.  Chances few and far between now

57 mins - GOAL FOR VILLA!!! A soft penalty for a slight tug on Gabby.  Bannan steps up and slots it right into the corner.  Kenny guessed right but couldn't keep it out.  Now Villa lets not go into our shell

55 mins - Bannan starting to pull the strings... hold on

51 mins - Only a few minutes into the half but already so much better.  We're looking much more positive and it's really livened the game up

47 mins - Bright start to the second half.  Zogs playing in Delph whose shot was blocked.  More of the same please!

Half Time - Very poor opening 40 minutes with QPR all over us creating opportunities at will.  Finally an improvement at the end of the half with Bannan coming so close to scoring with a peach of a free kick (any kids watching, that is perfect technique for an up and over the wall free kick) followed by a small spell of pressure but overall we need more of everything

44 mins - Bannan free kick 25 yards out looked in all the way but kept out excellently by Kenny.  Our first shot of the game!  Would have been cruel on QPR

42 mins - Villa racking up a couple of corners, met by sarcastic cheers from the Villa fans

40 mins - Crunching tackle from Warnock on Barton earns him the first booking of the match.  Barton goes down holding his face when it looked like his face when never touched, typical Barton!

35 mins - More of the same.  Gabby looking increasingly isolated up front.  The whole team needs to press higher up the pitch as a unit.  There's no link between defence, midfield and attack so far

27 mins - Pressure eased on our goal slightly, still nothing going forward though

18 mins - All QPR still.  Villa looking laboured and passing and movement is all too slow.  MUST IMPROVE

6 mins - Shaky start, Taarabt hits the post with a screamer from 30 yards

15:58 - Kick off in a couple of mins.  Come on you Villa boys, 3 points please!!!