Agbonlahor doubt for Villa

Aston Villa’s leading scorer Gabriel Agbonlahor is a major doubt for the Saturday lunchtime clash with Kevin Keegan’s side.

Seven-goal Agbonlahor is struggling to overcome the hamstring injury he picked up in the 2-1 defeat at Fulham which forced him to withdraw from the England squad for the mid-week friendly with Switzerland.

Villa will also check on midfielder Stiliyan Petrov who missed Bulgaria’s mid-week international against Northern Ireland with a bruised toe.

But winger Ashley Young will be available to face the Magpies after serving a one match suspension for incurring five bookings this season. And central defender Curtis Davies is expected to have recovered from the knee injury sustained at Craven Cottage.

Villa (from): Carson, Taylor, Sorensen, Mellberg, Laursen, Davies, Knight, Bouma, Petrov, Gardner, Reo-Coker, Barry, Berger, Osbourne, Young, Maloney, Carew, Harewood, Moore, Agbonlahor, Routledge.