The Aston Villa job must have seemed a great opportunity to Paul Lambert, but for the moment it is more of a trial. Even a defeat of Tranmere in the Capital One Cup would have been appreciated following the loss of both Premier League fixtures to date. Newcastle, however, will see this as another chance to confirm they are a club on the rise. The hosts' full-back Ryan Taylor could be out for up to six months after sustaining a knee injury in the 1-0 Europa League victory over Atromitos on Thursday night. Kevin McCarra
Venue St James' Park, Sunday 4pm
Tickets £26-51 (0844 372 1892)
Last season Newcastle 2 Aston Villa 1
Referee Lee Probert
This season's matches 1 Y4, R0, 4.00 cards per game
Odds Newcastle 4-6 Aston Villa 5-1 Draw 11-4
Newcastle
Subs from Elliot, Harper, Bigiramana, Perch, Tavernier, Williamson, Tioté, Gosling, Amalfitano, Vuckic, Obertan, Marveaux, Ferguson, Good
Doubtful Perch (neck), Tioté (calf)
Injured Shola Ameobi (hamstring, 17 Sept), Sammy Ameobi (knee, unknown), R Taylor (knee, unknown)
Suspended None
Form guide LW
Disciplinary record Y2 R0
Leading scorers Ba, Ben Arfa 1
Aston Villa
Subs from Guzan, Siegchrist, Burke, Herd, Baker, Bannan, Williams, Lichaj, Weimann, Delfouneso, Bowery, Johnson, Stevens
Doubtful None
Injured Agbonlahor (knee, 15 Sept), Albrighton (metatarsal, 15 Sept), Dunne (groin, 22 Sept), Gardner (knee, May), Carruthers (ankle, unknown), Petrov (leukaemia, unknown)
Suspended None
Form guide LL
Disciplinary record Y2 R1
Leading scorer El Ahmadi 1
Match pointers
• Newcastle have not lost at home to Villa since April 2005 when they were beaten 3-0 and had Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer sent off for fighting each other
• Villa are without a win away from home in nine Premier League games since they lost at St James' Park in February
• Since the start of 2011-12, Newcastle have conceded more penalties (10) than any other team
• The hosts have played 694 matches in Premier League history compared to Villa's 774 but Newcastle have scored 24 more goals and conceded 39 fewer
• Villa have failed to score in their last five away games in a row – they have never gone five without a goal in the Premier League era