Midfielder Injury Boost

The Villa midfielder was forced to sit out the game at Wigan on Sunday with a hamstring strain but scans have shown there to be no real damage and the Bulgarian is expected to retrun for the Boro game at Villa Park on Saturday.

"Stiliyan is feeling much better. He has tweaked his hamstring," manager Martin O'Neill told the clubs official website.

"He has had a scan, which proved clear, but he wasn't right for the game.

"He trained on Saturday but he was very tentative but he has got the rest of the week now to recover, so we will see how he goes."