Villa and Newcastle unchanged

Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert has named an unchanged XI for today’s Barclays Premier League home clash with Newcastle.

While the starting line-up remains the same from last weekend’s 1-0 win at Stoke, summer signings Joe Cole and Carlos Sanchez are involved for the first time, both being named on the bench.

Lambert’s opposite number Alan Pardew has also selected an unaltered side from that which had started the previous outing, Sunday’s 2-0 home loss to Manchester City, as well as bringing a summer recruit into the matchday squad among his substitutes in Siem de Jong.

Aston Villa: Guzan, Hutton, Vlaar, Senderos, Cissokho, Richardson, Westwood, Delph, N’Zogbia, Agbonlahor, Weimann.

Subs: Sanchez, Baker, Bacuna, Cole, Bent, Given, Grealish.

Newcastle: Krul, Janmaat, Williamson, Coloccini, Dummett, Colback, Anita, Cabella, Sissoko, Gouffran, Riviere.

Subs: De Jong, Perez, Haidara, Elliot, Obertan, Steven Taylor, Abeid.

Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral)