Villa without injured McGinn for Norwich clash

Aston Villa will be without John McGinn for their Boxing Day clash at home to relegation rivals Norwich.

The influential Scotland midfielder has been ruled out for around three months with a fractured left ankle sustained in Saturday’s 3-1 home defeat to Southampton.

Centre-back Tyrone Mings and striker Keinan Davis (both hamstring) are poised to return to training this week and could be available for Saturday’s trip to Watford.

Norwich have no new injuries problems ahead of the trip to the midlands.

Leading goal scorer Teemu Pukki remains fit and in contention to start despite suffering a bruised toe against Leicester on December 14.

Josip Drmic (hamstring) is back in light training but not ready to return yet, while Ben Godfrey and Timm Klose, who both have knee injuries, are long-term absentees.

Aston Villa provisional squad: Heaton, Nyland, Guilbert, Engels, Chester, Taylor, Elmohamady, Luiz, Hause, Konsa, Nakamba, Targett, Hourihane, Lansbury, Grealish, Trezeguet, El Ghazi, Wesley, Kodjia.

Norwich provisional squad: Krul, Aarons, Zimmermann, Byram, Hernandez, Cantwell, Trybull, Tettey, McLean, Pukki, Fahrmann, Lewis, Vrancic, Buendia, Stiepermann, Amadou, Srbeny.