Team news
Aston Villa's on-loan defender Axel Disasi is unable to face his parent club but Ezri Konsa is nearing a comeback from injury and may be able to replace him.
Leon Bailey could also return to the squad but Ross Barkley, Boubacar Kamara, Amadou Onana and Pau Torres are all out.
Chelsea remain without a raft of players, including winger Noni Madueke, who will be sidelined for at least a month with a hamstring problem.
Defenders Benoit Badiashile and Wesley Fofana could also make their comeback in March, while Nicolas Jackson and Romeo Lavia are targeting a return in April.
Match facts
Head-to-head
Aston Villa failed to win any of their four meetings with Chelsea in 2024, drawing two and losing two of those league and cup fixtures.
The Blues have won 13 Premier League games at Villa Park, only winning more at Southampton and Tottenham, where they have 15 and 16 victories respectively.
Villa have won just two of their last 11 top-flight home games with Chelsea (D2, L7), beating them 1-0 in March 2014 and 2-1 in May 2021.
Aston Villa
Aston Villa are unbeaten in 13 Premier League home games, winning six and drawing seven.
However, they've gone five top-flight matches without a win, drawing four and losing once.
Villa have lost just one of their last 22 Premier League home games played on a Saturday, winning 16 and drawing five.
The Villans' only clean sheet in their past 16 league and cup games came in last month's 1-0 win at Everton.
Marcus Rashford has scored four goals in eight Premier League home appearances against Chelsea.
Chelsea
Chelsea have failed to win any of their past six away games in all competitions, losing the last three in a row.
The Blues have only accrued nine points from the last nine Premier League games, after taking 34 from their first 16 fixtures this season.
Enzo Maresca's side have found the net just twice in their past five top-flight away matches - Cole Palmer scored one and the other was an own goal.
Chelsea failed to muster a shot on target in their 3-0 defeat to Brighton last week – the last time they failed to force the opposition goalkeeper into a save was in September 2021 against Manchester City.
Cole Palmer's last Premier League assist was for Enzo Fernandez against Aston Villa in December. Since then he's created 33 chances for his team-mates and none of them have been converted.
