Aston Villa v Palace

Villa Park, Tuesday 7.45pm

Connor Wickham

Team news

Palace forward Connor Wickham comes into the squad for the clash against Villa. The former Sunderland player has returned to training following time out with a calf injury and should get a run-out.

Striker Dwight Gayle (hamstring) and winger Yannick Bolasie (hip) are still missing but Bakary Sako is in contention for a starting role after his bench appearance last time out.

Aston Villa captain Micah Richards is likely to start for the Midlanders after recovering from an ankle injury. Carlos Sanchez and Alan Hutton (both hamstring) are out, along with Adama Traore (foot).

Gabriel Agbonlahor (back) and Jack Grealish (tonsillitis) are doubts, while Charles N'Zogbia and Libor Kozak are unlikely to feature.

Villa (from): Guzan, Bunn, Bacuna, Richards, Okore, Clark, Lescott, Richardson, Kinsella, Cissokho, Crespo, Westwood, Gil, Veretout, Grealish, Gana, Lyden, Sinclair, Hepburn-Murphy, Ayew, Agbonlahor, Gestede.

Palace (from): Hennessey, Speroni, Dann, Delaney, Hangeland, Souare, Mariappa, Ward, Lee, Ledley, McArthur, McCarthy, Mutch, Puncheon, Campbell, Sako, Chamakh, Cabaye, Zaha, Wickham.

Quotes

Remi Garde

"Every week we have games to play and I know how it is in football. I'm not especially under pressure, but if I'm not winning games then I'm not silly as well.

"The day I feel that I'm not able to do any positive things for this big football club you will know it.

"Every week I'm speaking about confidence but we have to try to have more confidence. I'm not waiting on a parcel in the post that will be full of confidence. We have to be professional and generate it for ourselves."

Keith Millen

"We need to get off to a good start and if there is a volatile atmosphere there we don't want to give them any sort of encouragement to get behind the Aston Villa team.

"Fair enough to Micah Richards to brave the fans and try and explain the situation to them. I don't know what was said but he is certainly passionate about Aston Villa and what is going on and it is hurting him.

"The main thing from the fans' point of view is that they want to see the players going out there fighting for the cause of the club and they have got every right to express their feelings.

"They are under pressure and they desperately need a win. We have been there at the bottom of the league but fortunately managed to get ourselves out of it so we know what that pressure is like.

"You are looking for something in the game to cling onto - whether it is the first goal or something to get the crowd involved - so we have to make sure we are ready for the start of the game."

Aston Villa - league stats

Position	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Points
20th	20	1	5	14	8

Full league table

Last five results

Date	Type	Home Team	Score	Away Team
22/08/2015	League	Crystal Palace	2 - 1	Aston Villa
01/01/2015	League	Aston Villa	0 - 0	Crystal Palace
02/12/2014	League	Crystal Palace	0 - 1	Aston Villa
12/04/2014	League	Crystal Palace	1 - 0	Aston Villa
26/12/2013	League	Aston Villa	0 - 1	Crystal Palace

All time results

Last meeting

Palace 2-1 Aston Villa

Saturday August 22 2015

Palace: McCarthy, Delaney, Souare, Dann, Ward, Y Cabaye (Jedinak, 82), Puncheon, Sako, McArthur, Zaha (Gayle, 45), Murray (Mutch, 45)

Goals: Dann (71), Sako (87)

Bookings: Ward, Cabaye, Puncheon

Aston Villa: Guzan, Amavi, Richards, Clark, Bacuna, Sanchez (Traore, 69), Westwood, Gueye, Agbonlahor, Gestede, Grealish

Goals: Souare (og 77)

Subs not used: Bunn, Veretout, Ayew, Hutton, Sinclair, Baker

Bookings: Clark, Bacuna, Gestede