Predicted Aston Villa v Sheffield Wednesday lineups: Ex-Owl Gardner misses out; visitors’ key man Hutchinson returns

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Aston Villa host Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship on Saturday.

To be played on Saturday 11th March 2017 at 15:00. Venue: Villa Park, Birmingham

Odds: Aston Villa 7/5, Draw 11/5, Sheff Wed 21/10

When Sheffield Wednesday beat Aston Villa on the season’s opening weekend it was seen as one promotion contender landing an early blow on another.

However, it is only the Owls who have maintained their push for the Premier League, with Villa, now under different management, having all but written off the 2016-17 campaign.

Wednesday go into Saturday’s encounter at Villa Park nine places and 17 points ahead of the Villans, who lie 15th despite recording three wins out of four.

In contrast, the Owls have won only once in that time, although it was another of last season’s Premier League sides, Norwich City, who were the victims on that occasion.

Norwich are one of few sides not to have sought to stop Carlos Carvalhal’s men from playing their preferred brand of football, paying for their oversight with a 5-1 defeat.

And it is likely that Villa will have take note of the Canaries’ display, along with that of relegation-threatened Burton Albion, who returned from Hillsborough with a deserved draw after throwing men behind the ball on Tuesday.

As such, Steve Bruce’s side are likely to remain unchanged from their defeat against Huddersfield Town, which would mean a place on the bench again for former Wednesday loanee Gary Gardner .

Former Owls man Gardner celebrates

Arguably, Wednesday could have done with some of Sam Hutchinson’s urgency on against Burton and will hope to have the central midfielder back at Villa Park, where David Jones will continue if not.

Here’s how the two teams could look: