Rovers hope to welcome back Flitcroft

Blackburn midfielder Garry Flitcroft is expected to recover from illness to start his side’s New Year’s Day visit to Aston Villa.

But Rovers boss Mark Hughes is resigned to being without Jay Bothroyd for at least a fortnight after he suffered a recurrence of his thigh injury this week.

Lorenzo Amoruso could start on the bench despite worries over his match fitness while Craig Short (hamstring) and Tugay (knee) are still two weeks away from returning to action.

Team from: Friedel, Neill, Todd, Johansson, Matteo, Reid, Flitcroft, Ferguson, Emerton, Stead, Dickov, Enckelman, Thompson, Gallagher, McEveley, Pedersen, Gray, Douglas, Amoruso, Johnson.