Ross Barkley set to return as Aston Villa host Crystal Palace

Ross Barkley is expected to be available for Aston Villa’s clash with Crystal Palace on Boxing Day.

The midfielder has been out for a month with a hamstring problem but has returned to training while Ezri Konsa has also shaken off an illness.

Trezeguet remains out with a thigh injury and, although Wesley has started running again, the striker will not return from his long-term knee injury until next year.

Palace will be without former Villa defender Gary Cahill at Villa Park.

The experienced centre-back has been ruled out due to a hamstring injury following last weekend’s 7-0 drubbing at the hands of champions Liverpool.

Striker Christian Benteke – another ex-Villa player – returns from a one-match ban, but Wayne Hennessey (thigh), Nathan Ferguson (knee), Martin Kelly, Mamadou Sakho (both calf) and Connor Wickham (thigh) remain sidelined.

Aston Villa provisional squad: Martinez, Steer, Heaton, Cash, Guilbert, Konsa, Hause, Mings, Engels, Targett, Taylor, Luiz, McGinn, Grealish, Barkley, Ramsey, Elmohamady, Hourihane, Nakamba, El Ghazi, Traore, Watkins.

Provisional Crystal Palace squad: Guaita, Butland, Van Aanholt, Clyne, Ward, Tomkins, Dann, Mitchell, Milivojevic, Kouyate, Schlupp, Riedewald, McArthur, McCarthy, Townsend, Eze, Ayew, Zaha, Benteke, Batshuayi.