Villa struggling for numbers

Aston Villa will be without a host of players for tomorrow’s visit of fellow Barclays Premier League strugglers Wigan.

Defender Nathan Baker is the latest to be ruled out after he was forced off with a hamstring problem just before half-time in a 4-0 St Stephen's Day defeat at home to Tottenham.

Baker joins captain Ron Vlaar (calf), Gabriel Agbonlahor (thigh), Charles N’Zogbia (knee), Darren Bent (hamstring), Richard Dunne (groin) and Andreas Weimann (calf) on the sidelines.

Provisional squad: Guzan, Given, Lowton, Herd, Clark, Lichaj, Stevens, Bennett, Ireland, Westwood, El Ahmadi, Bannan, Delph, Holman, Benteke, Bowery, Burke, Johnson, Williams.