An audacious effort from Jack Grealish draws a save from Ben Alnwick in the Bolton goal.

A corner is cleared towards Grealish, who lets the ball drop over his shoulder 25 yards out and swivels, lifting a looping strike towards goal.

It was heading for the top corner, but just had slightly too little power to beat Alnwick.

Aston Villa's defenders look like they've never played alongside each other before.

Mark Beevers is allowed space to knock the ball down to Jon Flanagan, whose shot is blocked away to the relief of the visiting fans.

Aston Villa threaten down the right, Robert Snodgrass twisting and turning to make space to drift a left-footed cross towards Jack Grealish from the right.

The delivery isn't too far away from its target, perhaps a foot or so too high as it sails through to Ben Alnwick.

Image source, Rex Features

Why all the ball news?

Probably because there isn't much happening in front of goal.

Long balls are causing both defences some issues on a slippery snow-dusted surface, but it's just as difficult for the strikers to judge the ball's direction and adjust their movement as it is for the defenders.

A regulation pass for Bolton on the edge of the Villa box skids quickly out of play. It's not easy for the players out there.

The first change of the match, as the white ball comes off to be replaced by the yellow ball.

Why they didn't just push kick-off back a few minutes I'm not quite sure.

Aston Villa winger Albert Adomah sends a low cross into the Bolton box which causes centre-half Mark Beevers a few problems.

Beevers twice fails to make proper contact with his attempted clearances before a team-mate gets the ball away.

Why a white ball?

Apparently, the yellow ball isn't ready to be used by the goal-line decision system just yet.

Once the system has, I don't know, got to know the yellow ball a bit better, they might make the change.

Aston Villa's first corner is unconvincingly punched up in the air by Ben Alnwick and then headed behind by Bolton winger Sammy Ameobi.

The Trotters do a better job of clearing the second delivery, allowing Ameobi to carry the ball away from danger.

Image source, Rex Features

John Terry just does enough to put a Bolton attacker off from a corner.

Unsurprisingly, a Villa defender missed the first chance to head the ball away.

It's a miracle if they can even see the white ball through the snowstorm that has descended on Bolton.

It is pretty wintry at the Macron Stadium this evening.

Bolton get the game started as thick snows falls down.

It's a WHITE BALL. Controversial choice.

Barry Martin: Very attack-minded team selection from Bruce. I reckon Villa will either lose 1 or 2-0 or absolutely smash them by 3 or 4, hoping for the latter.

On paper, this should be a straightforward victory on the road for Aston Villa, but football does have a habit of throwing up a few surprises at this time of year.

These two sides have been closely matched in their meetings since the turn of the decade, with three wins apiece.

Unfortunately for the Trotters, that’s about as much hope as they can take from the form book, as their side have earned just five points out of a possible 27 against top-six sides this season.

Steve Bruce’s Villa have put their away struggles of recent years behind them with the fourth best record in the division on their travels this term, while they have failed to score only once in their past 20 trips to Bolton.

Image source, Rex Features

After three successive wins and 11 goals across those fixtures, Aston Villa had looked to be mounting a serious challenge for the Championship’s top two places.

That challenge suffered a major setback on Wednesday though, as Steve Bruce’s side fell to a shock 3-1 defeat by QPR at Villa Park, leaving them seven points behind second-placed Cardiff.

A victory today would put the pressure back on the Bluebirds ahead of their game at Derby on Sunday, and three points ahead of Fulham, whose draw against QPR earlier took them into third place.

Image source, Empics

With just one defeat in their past five games, Bolton have slowly but surely been inching their way to Championship survival, though they are now only three points points clear of relegation following Birmingham's victory over Hull today.

A few too many draws have stopped Phil Parkinson from being able to plan ahead for next year, and it's fair to say that most observers won't be expecting the hosts to pick up all three points today.

Their recent form will no doubt give them hope of picking up at least a draw though, with Villa surely not in for an easy ride at the Macron.

James Bree makes his first league start since September, and his first appearance in any competition since January.

Birkir Bjarnason also returns to the starting line-up in midfield.

Aston Villa XI: Johnstone; Elmohamady, Chester, Terry, Bree; Hourihane, Bjarnason; Adomah, Grealish, Snodgrass; Grabban.

Bolton are unchanged from the side which held Sheffield Wednesday to a draw a week ago.

Aaron Wilbraham, who scored a 93rd-minute equaliser in that game, is once again on the bench.

Bolton XI: Alnwick; Flanagan, Burke, Derik, Beevers, Taylor; Ameobi, Pratley, Henry; Buckley; le Fondre.

Image source, Rex Features

It's time to turn our attention to the final game of the day, as Bolton host Aston Villa.

We'll bring you the starting line-ups in a few moments' time.

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• Second-placed Luton come from behind but can only draw 1-1 away against Newport.
• A Kane Hemmings penalty in the ninth minute of injury-time salvages a 1-1 derby draw for Mansfield against fellow high-flyers Notts County at Meadow Lane.
• Exeter City are beaten 2-1 at Morecambe and drop out of the play-off places.
• Bottom side Barnet lose 2-0 at home to Wycombe, who are now level on points with third-placed Notts County.

• Shrewsbury come from behind to win at Scunthorpe and go second in the table, above Wigan and two points behind Blackburn Rovers.
• Leaders Blackburn have their match called off, while the Latics are in FA Cup action on Sunday.
• MK Dons earn a vital home win over Bury as the third-from-bottom side beat the bottom side.
• A Jamie Ness double and a Graham Carey penalty earns Plymouth victory as they twice come from behind to beat fellow promotion-chasers Bristol Rovers.
• Rotherham win on the road at lowly Northampton while lowly Oxford ease their relegation worries with a 2-1 win over Peterborough.