Aston Villa v Sunderland
Tim Sherwood has revealed a sickness bug has swept through the Aston Villa camp ahead of Saturday's clash with Sunderland.
Sherwood refused to name those concerned but has concerns over several of his squad.
"There's a sickness bug around the training ground so there are a few players who have not been able to make training," he said.
"They are not well and the doc is having to do some overtime. We could miss a couple and there's a couple who are not well now.
"There must be a bug going around, we're just hoping it's made its way to the north-east."
Sherwood could also be without Adama Traore at the weekend after the former Barcelona winger limped off in the League Cup win over Notts County on Tuesday with an ankle injury.
"He hasn't trained but we're going to give him every opportunity to be fit," said the boss.
"He's a massive talent, no-one wants him to be a sensation immediately more than I do but he has come from a weaker competition (Spain's Segunda Division, with Barca's B team) and it's going to take him time."
Sherwood played down the visit of Sunderland though, insisting no-one should read much into any early result as Villa look to avoid another season of struggle.
He said: "It's an important game but I'm not sure it's a landmark. The team got 10 points from four games last season and ended up struggling. It's not how you start, it's how you finish - and how you perform in the middle would help.
"They're under no more pressure than we are, Arsenal, Chelsea too, everyone has their own pressure. The pressure is to win football matches at whatever level.
"We want to take the game to Sunderland, they sit deep and look to bring us on and we'll certainly be coming on to them."
The Black Cats could hand a debut to new signing Swede Ola Toivonen, having completed his signature on Friday.
The 29-year-old attacking midfielder, who played under Dick Advocaat at PSV Eindhoven, has joined from Ligue 1 outfit Rennes.
Advocaat said: "I worked with Ola at PSV, so I know him well. He is a national team player with a lot of experience, an attacking midfielder who can score goals and is good in the air - he will bring something different to the team."
Toivonen also has two other familiar faces waiting for him at Sunderland.
He told www.safc.com: "I already knew Sebastian (Larsson) from the national team and we've played together for five or six years, and I also know Jeremain Lens from our two years together at PSV."
His arrival may go some of the way towards placating 67-year-old Advocaat, who has grown increasingly frustrated in recent weeks about the lack of signings after making it clear to owner Ellis Short and sporting director Lee Congerton that up to six "quality" acquisitions were required if the club was to avoid a third successive scrap for top-flight survival.
Source: PAR
