Aston Villa v Palace

Villa Park, Saturday 3.00pm

Andy Johnson

Team news

Johnson had to be carried off at the end of Palace's reverse at home to Man City with a bruised calf, but has now recovered.

Nicola Ventola, on a season loan from Inter, came on as a second half substitute against City and made a big impression, earning Palace a penalty.

But he has been ruled out for three weeks after hurting his knee in training on Monday. ''He's got a nasty tear on his medial ligament,'' said boss Iain Dowie.

''It's one of those things. You have to take it on the chin. We will crack on.''

Mark Hudson (ankle) faces a late fitness test and could be replaced by Tony Popovic, who hopes to have recovered from his foot injury.

Striker NEIL SHIPPERLEY is still suspended after his recent red card in the reserves. Danny Butterfield (thigh) and Mikele Leigertwood (knee) are at least a week away from returning.

Aston Villa - league stats

Position	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Points
7th	6	2	3	1	9

Full league table

Aston Villa - current form

Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	For	Against
5	2	3	0	5	6

Full form table

Our away record v Aston Villa

Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	For	Against
14	2	2	10	9	27

Last five results

Date	Type	Home Team	Score	Away Team
03/12/2003	League Cup	Aston Villa	3 - 0	Crystal Palace
14/03/1998	League	Aston Villa	3 - 1	Crystal Palace
08/11/1997	League	Crystal Palace	1 - 1	Aston Villa
04/04/1995	League	Crystal Palace	0 - 0	Aston Villa
30/11/1994	League Cup	Crystal Palace	4 - 1	Aston Villa

All time results

One to watch

Thomas Hitzlsperger

Aston Villa's top scorer

Carlton Cole, Olof Mellberg - 2 goals

Aston Villa's bad boy

Jlloyd Samuel - 2 0

Palace old boys

None

Twenty-two-year-old Hitzlsperger arrived at Villa in 2000, joining on a free transfer from German giants Bayern Munich.

He can play centre-back or centre midfield but is always a strong, talented player.

If given enough room, he will run through the Eagles midfield and defence a release a wicked shot which more often than not, is on target. He has been known to shoot and score from more than 30 yards on more than one occasion.

He is one for the future for the German national side and is always hungry for goals and puts in a good performances since cementing his first team place last season.

Other players to watch out for will be the sheer quality and talent of Juan Pablo Angel, the all round talent of Olof Mellberg who is a very capable defender, but has also managed to score two goals already this season and Carlton Cole, who is on loan from Chelsea but is surely one of the better strikers in the division being quick, sharp and powerful.

Villa have a lot of players that can shoot from a long way out and/or run rings round the opposition defenders. This match will be more than tough.

Probable line-up

	Johnson	Torghelle
Kolkka	Hughes	Riihilahti	Routledge
Granville	Hudson	Hall	Boyce
Speroni

Last meeting

Aston Villa 3-0 Palace

Wednesday December 03 2003

Aston Villa: Sorensen, De la Cruz, Mellberg, Dublin (Ridgewell, 80), Samuel, Stefan Moore, McCann, Hitzlsperger, Barry (Whittingham, 72), Angel, Vassell (Allback, 73)

Subs not used: Hendrie, Postma

Booking: Hitzlsperger

Goals: Symons 22 (og), McCann 70, Angel 79

Palace: Berthelin, Fleming (Riihilahti, 56), Symons, Popovic, Borrowdale, Butterfield, Derry (Watson, 78), Hughes, Black (Routledge, 45), Shipperley, Freedman

Subs not used: Granville, Myhre