Aston Villa v N Forest preview: Sky Bet Championship clash live on Sky Sports Football

Saturday 23 September 2017 16:37, UK

Aston Villa's Henri Lansbury is battling to be fit for Saturday's visit of his former club Nottingham Forest, live on Sky Sports Football from 5.15pm.

Lansbury was forced off in Tuesday's 2-0 Carabao Cup defeat to Middlesbrough with a knee injury and will be assessed in the run-up to kick-off. Striker Scott Hogan (ankle) is also a doubt but Gabby Agbonlahor could be back after missing the last three matches with a groin problem.

Midfielder Jack Grealish, who suffered kidney damage following a freak collision during Villa's pre-season friendly against Watford in July. has returned to light training but is still weeks away from a first-team return.

Liam Bridcutt will be one of several players to return to the Forest team when the Reds resume their Championship campaign on Saturday evening. The midfielder was cup-tied for the Carabao Cup tie at Chelsea, where manager Mark Warburton made eight changes to his starting line-up.

The likes of Armand Traore, Matt Mills, Tendayi Darikwa and Daryl Murphy are also expected to be restored to the side. David Vaughan (groin), Matty Cash (ankle) and Jamie Ward (calf) are all edging closer to a return from injury.

Opta stats

The Villans have only lost one of their last 11 home league meetings with Forest (W5 D5), a 2-0 defeat in a Premier League match in October 1994.

Forest - victorious in their last league meeting with Villa in February - haven't won back to back league games against them since October 1985.

Villa's Henri Lansbury joined them from Forest in January - in his penultimate Championship appearance for the Tricky Trees he scored a hat-trick against Barnsley in November 2016. However, in 22 league games for Villa, he is yet to find the net.

In fact, Lansbury has scored more league goals at Villa Park as an opposition player in one appearance there (1) than he has in 13 home matches for Aston Villa.

Forest have won two of their last four away league games - as many as they'd won in their previous 23 combined.

Steve Bruce has lost only three of his last 36 home league games as a manager (W21 D12).

Prutton's prediction

Aston Villa have got to win this for me. They're undefeated in the league in five now, and while they've got a few too many draws in there it looks like things are coming together.

Both sides suffered disappointing losses in midweek, but they made so many changes between them that it should make too much of a difference. Nottingham Forest are in 10th at the moment, and if they find themselves there at the end of the season them I'm sure Mark Warburton will be delighted.

Prutton predicts: 2-1 and Keinan Davis to score first (25/1 with Sky Bet)