If Shay Given can expect a warm welcome on his return to Tyneside, Darren Bent should brace himself for hostility. As a one-time Sunderland forward Bent is not popular on Gallowgate, from where home fans will watch his intriguing duel with Fabricio Coloccini. Alan Pardew hopes to offer Papisss Demba Cissé, Newcastle's new signing from Freiburg, a debut, quite possibly alongside his Senegal strike partner Demba Ba. Signficantly, Pardew, who managed Bent at Charlton, is not discounting talk of Champions League qualification. Louise Taylor
Venue Sports Direct Arena
Tickets Sold out
Last season Newcastle Utd 6 Aston Villa 0
Referee M Halsey
This season's matches 12 Y30, R0, 2.50 cards per game
Odds Newcastle Utd 21-20 Aston Villa 5-2 Draw 47-20
Newcastle Utd
Subs from Harper, Elliot, Perch, Vuckic, Abeid, Gosling, Obertan, Best, Lovenkrands, Ferguson, Shola Ameobi,
Doubtful Cissé, Ba (both jet lag)
Injured Marveaux (groin, Apr), S Taylor (achilles, Aug), Sammy Ameobi (knee, Aug)
Suspended Cabaye (second match of three)
Unavailable Tioté (international duty)
Form guide WLWWLW Disciplinary record Y41 R2
Leading scorer Ba 15
Aston Villa
Subs from Guzan, Agbonlahor, Lichaj, Baker, Bannan, Gardner, Heskey, Weimann, Stevens
Doubtful Agbonlahor (hamstring/back)
Injured Albrighton (thigh, 12 Feb), Collins (calf, 12 Feb), Herd (ankle, Mar)
Suspended None
Form guide DWDLWD
Disciplinary record Y38 R2
Leading scorer Bent 9
Match pointers
• Alex McLeish has won none of his five matches as a manager against Newcastle, drawing two and losing the other three
• Newcastle have lost just two of their last 15 league fixtures on home soil, winning eight and drawing the remaining five
• The visitors are the only team in the Premier League not to have scored from a corner during the current season
• Along with Wigan, Newcastle have conceded more penalties than any other top-flight team so far this campaign (eight)