Key events
Those teams: Unai Emery makes seven changes to the team that started against Brighton in midweek. Marco Bizot, Pau Torres, Victor Lindelof, Lucas Digne, Ross Barkley, Leon Bailey and Tammy Abraham all start.
Newcastle make six changes to the side that started against Tottenham, as Eddie Howe brings in Aaron Ramsdale, Lewis Hall, Sandro Tonali, Jacob Murphy, Nick Woltemade and William Osula.
Aston Villa v Newcastle United line-ups
Aston Villa: Bizot, Bogarde, Lindelof, Torres, Digne, Luiz, Onana, Rogers, Barkley, Bailey, Abraham.
Subs: Martinez, Konsa, Mings, Watkins, Garcia, Buendia, Sancho, Maatsen, Kone
Newcastle United: Ramsdale, Trippier, Thiaw, Burn, Hall, Tonali, Ramsey, Murphy, Woltemade, Barnes, Osula.
Subs: Pope, Ruddy, Gordon, Elanga, Willock, A.Murphy, Shahar, Seung-soo, Neave.
Today’s match officials
NB VAR is not being used in the fourth round of this season’s FA Cup.
Early team news
Aston Villa quartet Youri Tielemans, John McGinn, Boubacar Kamara and Andres Garcia are all sidelined with injuries, but recent signing Alysson ought to feature today after the 19-year-old winger recovered from a knee problem. Absent from Villa’s midweek win over Brighton, Matty Cash is also expected to miss today’s game.
Newcastle fans are reeling from the news that Bruno Guimaraes will miss the next eight to 10 games with a hamstring injury, while Joelinton, Tino Livramento, Fabian Schar and Emil Krafth all remain sidelined. Lewis Miley is receiving daily scans on a dead leg and is unlikely to be risked here, given the intensity of Newcastle’s looming schedule.
Having declined to select either of his centre-forwards Yoane Wissa or Nick Woltemade to start against Spurs on Tuesday in a gamble that paid off in fine style, it will be interesting to see how Eddie Howe approaches tonight’s game. With four matches and one flight to and from Azerbaijan scheduled for the next 10 days, Eddie Howe could be forgiven for placing this particular contest at the bottom of his list of priorities.
FA Cup fourth round: Aston Villa v Newcastle
Newcastle travel to Villa Park for the second of four consecutive matches on the road for Eddie Howe’s side. Their odyssey began in fine style with a midweek victory over Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League that cost Thomas Frank his job and now they meet Villa in FA Cup for the seventh time since 16 February, 1895.
Villa won 7-1 on that occasion but are unlikely to enjoy such a stroll in a match that history suggest could be highly significant. In five of the previous six seasons these two teams have met in the FA Cup, it has either been in the final (twice) or the the team that won has gone on to reach the final.
Newcastle haven’t won this competition since lifting the FA Cup for the sixth time in 1955, while Villa won the most recent of their seven FA Cups two years later in 1957. For both of them, it’s been a while. Kick-off at Villa Park is at 5.45 (GMT) but we’ll have team news and build-up in the meantime.
