Villa handed defender boost

Aston Villa defender Richard Dunne is available for the trip to West Brom, following a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

The experienced defender has been out of action for two-and-a-half months with a broken collarbone, but is available again for the trip to the Hawthorns. Dunne's return will provide a timely boost for Villa, who have been sucked into the relegation battle after seven games without a win. However, boss Alex McLeish does have a number of fitness concerns, as Stephen Ireland (hamstring), James Collins (groin) and Emile Heskey (Achilles) are all considered doubtful.