Premier League Match Time: Fulham Vs Aston Villa

It’s Premier league match time, as Fulham are set to host Aston Villa at Craven Cottage on Saturday afternoon in match week eleven.

Fulham are fresh from their 2-0 win over Wigan in match week ten. The win took the Cottagers up to 10th potition on the points table, while Aston Villa are four places below them following a goalless draw against Birmingham last week.

While Clive Demspey struck twice for Mark Hughes’ side, Hangeland and Gera missed goals they should have scored, while Salcido and Dembele were others who played outstandingly on the day. dempsey’s important to Mark Hughes’ side is underscored b the fact that he has been instrumental

Ahead of the match against Fulham, Aston Villa have suffered a blow in the form of Heskey’s knee injury that will keep the striker out of action on Saturday. The injury suffered during training could require a month to heal and Heskey is likely to undergo surgery.

John Carew could take Heskey’s place in the absence of Agbonlahor who is yet to recover from a groin injury. Nathan Delfouneso, Villa’s under-19 striker, is also fit, but is unlikely to make it to the first eleven, ahead of Carew.

Full-back Habib Beye is likely to make a comeback to the squad following his return to match fitness from an ankle injury suffered against Burnley in the Carling Cup, a game that Villa won. Houllier will have to choose between Beye and Luke Young as he finalises his starting eleven for the match. Mark Alrighton is also poised to return to the Aston Villa starting eleven in the weekend game against Fulham.

Fulham under Mark Hughes have been hard to beat. However, Aston Villa’s past record against the Cottagers is excellent and Fulham have manged to win just three of their eighteen Premier League encounters against the Villans. But, on the negative side, Villans have tasted defeat in five of their last six away matches.

Fortunately for Fulham, apart from Senderos and Zamora they have no injury worries ahead of the match; For Evrton the list of injured players is much longer and has Carew, L Young, Delph, Petrov, Heskey and Agbonlahor.

Houllier’s charges will particularly miss Agbonlahor especially as the striker scored thrice against the Cottagers in last years two Premier League encounters. However, the Villans are in the middle of a goal draught of sorts, having gone 344 minutes without a goal in the Premiership. Bookmakers favour a Fulham win.

Fulham’s first eleven in the game against Wigan comprised: Schwarzer, Baird, Hangeland, Hughes, Salcido, Davies, Murphy, Greening, Dempsey, Gera, Dembele

The substitutes who featured in the game were: Dikgacoi, Johnson

The following players were in Aston Villa’s starting eleven against Aston Villa: Friedel, Young, Dunne, Colins, Clark, Downing, Rio-Coker, Sidwell, warnock, Young, Heskey

The substitutes who played were: Bannan, Carew