We assume that Shaaban will be playing at Highbury. Luzhny and Keown, despite playing on Wednesday, are going to have their fitness assessed before any decision is made on their availability. We'd guess that Keown won't be rushed back, so long as Sol and Cygan are ok, seeing as his fitness for the Man Utd game is more important. Cover for Luzhny is a bit more tricky, but home against Villa would be a better game to give Volz or Tavlaridis a go in than away to Roma (although Toure is available for this one too).

Lauren, along with Parlour and Kanu, is on the road to recovery but won't be back in time for this one. Bergkamp may well play having had a rest during the week.

Villa striker Peter Crouch twisted his ankle for the resreve son Tuesday. They don't know the extent yet but it seems likely he'll be out. He probably would only have been on the bench anyway with Dublin and Vassell starting.

Ronny Johnsen is expecting to be fit after missing their last game (a big win over West Ham) with a thigh strain. Full-back Mark Delaney definitely misses the game having broken a bone in his foot while on duty with Wales last week. And Gareth Barry is suspended thanks to 5 bookings, the last in their 0-0 draw at West Brom 2 weeks ago.

Villa are approaching the end of a 6 game unbeaten run.

Rupe adds...
Friday's news is that teenage striker Stefan Moore is out with a knee injury picked up after scoring for Villa in the same reserve game (see Crouch above). He could be ok but they're not going to risk him. Villa have also confirmed that Crouch is definitely out for 2 weeks.

Also, Freddie Ljungberg and Olaf Mellberg (who may be filling in for Barry at right back tomorrow, it'll probably be him or Alan Wright) have both gone on record as saying that there's no bad blood left between them. The Swedish pair had a much publicised spat in training before the England game at the World Cup.