Owen And Emre To Return To Action

Last updated : 18 August 2007 By Footy Mad - Editor

Owen is certain to be included in the Newcastle squad after successfully recovering from a thigh injury.

But Turkish midfielder Emre, who has also returned to full training after an ankle complaint, was not expected for another week or so.

But goalkeeper Shay Given (groin), Damien Duff (ankle), Joey Barton (metatarsal) and Celestine Babayaro will all miss the match.

As for Aston Villa, Scott Carson is on standby to make his Aston Villa debut at St James' Park.

The on-loan Liverpool goalkeeper is poised to take over from Stuart Taylor.

Taylor, who deputised for hamstring injury victim Thomas Sorensen against Liverpool last weekend, has been struggling with a calf strain but is back in training.

The call-up of Carson, who is spending the season with Villa, is set to be the only change that manager Martin O'Neill makes to the side that started the 2-1 defeat to Liverpool.

Craig Gardner will continue as a makeshift right-back after recovering from a groin strain but midfielder Patrik Berger misses out due to a hamstring problem.

Striker John Carew and central defender Martin Laursen are fully fit following sickness problems last weekend.

NEWCASTLE (from): Harper, Carr, N'Zogbia, Rozehnal, Taylor, Solano, Milner, Geremi, Butt, Smith, Viduka, Martins, Ameobi, Owen, Ramage, Pattison, Cacapa, Enrique, Emre.

ASTON VILLA (from): Carson, Taylor, Gardner, Mellberg, Laursen, Bouma, Petrov, Barry, Reo-Coker, Young, Carew, Agbonlahor, Cahill, Moore, Osbourne, Maloney, Harewood.