Trio to return for Spurs

Tottenham should welcome back Rafael van der Vaart (hamstring), Jermaine Jenas (calf), and Younes Kaboul (hip) for Sunday’s match at Aston Villa.

All three missed Spurs’ last game against Chelsea, as did defender William Gallas, who will undergo a fitness test to see if he has fully recovered from the hamstring injury he picked up a fortnight ago.

Ledley King (groin) has trained this week but is not fit enough to play while Jonathan Woodgate started his recovery from a long-term groin injury this week but is not expected to feature until near the end of the season.

Team (from): Gomes, Hutton, Dawson, Bassong, Kaboul, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Palacios, Van der Vaart, Sandro, Modric, Bale, Pavlyuchenko, Keane, Defoe, Crouch, Cudicini, Bentley, Giovani, Corluka, Jenas, Gallas.