Aston Villa vs. Queens Park Rangers: Expected Starting XI

Aston Villa host Queens Park Rangers on Saturday. Is this finally the long-awaited return of both Albert Adomah and Jack Grealish?

Early reports indicate Sunday might come too soon for Albert Adomah and Jack Grealish. Both are dealing with soft tissue injuries, the former a hamstring strain and the latter a calf strain. Both typically require weeks on the sidelines, depending on the degree of the tear.

Look into it how you please, but Grealish is itching to make his return:

With that said, we know for certain several players are unavailable. Axel Tuanzebe, Alan Hutton and André Green are all out – all still dealing with their own muscle injuries. So, how will Steve Bruce line-up against The Hoops? A 4-4-2 in Grealish’s absence, at home, seems the likeliest scenario.

Projected Aston Villa XI (4-4-2): Johnstone; Elmohamady, Chester, Terry, Taylor; Snodgrass, Whelan, Hourihane, Bjarnason; Hogan, Grabban.

Neil Taylor had a nice cameo after Hutton’s withdrawal against Sheffield Wednesday. Until mid-March, when Hutton projects to return, the left back position is his to lose. Moreover, Glenn Whelan likely retains his place after scoring the critical equalizer against Wednesday.

He’s not the perfect fit in a central midfield pivot, but then again, neither is Mile Jedinak. Up top, Lewis Grabban will look to extend his goal streak to three matches working alongside striker Scott Hogan. Left midfield is a bit of a question, but Birkir Bjarnason is available. Bruce could get extra aggressive and throw Grabban on the left with Keinan Davis and Hogan as the forward pairing.

Next: Micah Richards Went 500 Days Without A Game

Substitutes: Bunn, Samba, Bree, Jedinak, Lansbury, Onomah, Davis

Will Callum O’Hare ever make the bench?

It is still odd Aston Villa publicly tweeted O’Hare would be included against Sheffield Wednesday, only for his name to be missing when the teamsheet came out. This bench isn’t the most attack-minded, but it probably provides enough firepower for a home fixture against QPR and the club’s -13 goal differential on the season.