Aston Villa vs Ipswich: Preview, predictions and lineups | OneFootball

Aston Villa need to build some Premier League momentum when they face Ipswich Town in the West Midlands on Saturday afternoon.

Unai Emery's side have endured a mixed league season up to this point having secured a top-four spot last season. The Villans sit eighth in the table but are only six points adrift of an out-of-sorts Chelsea in fourth.

They've impressed in the Champions League and look on course to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals after beating Tottenham 2-1 last week, and their busy winter hints at preparation to compete on multiple fronts down the stretch.

Ipswich also progressed into the FA Cup fifth round last week by making light work of Frank Lampard's Coventry, but they've lost four on the bounce in the Premier League. Having enjoyed a decent first half to the campaign, Ipswich's chances of survival now look slim.

The Tractor Boys earned a 2-2 draw with their upcoming opponents at Portman Road back in September, and they could do with a positive result at Villa Park this weekend to stop the rot. Kieran McKenna's side are 19th and three points adrift of safety.

Here is 90min's guide to Saturday's Premier League clash.

Aston Villa vs Ipswich head-to-head record (last five games)

Current form (all competitions)

How to watch Aston Villa vs Ipswich on TV - UK & US

Aston Villa team news

Marcus Rashford made his Aston Villa debut last week / Catherine Ivill - AMA/GettyImages

Emery has a wealth of attacking options at his disposal despite Jhon Duran's January exit, and Villa could be boosted by the return of Ollie Watkins from a groin injury on Saturday. Donyell Malen impressively led the line against Spurs last weekend.

Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio produced impressive cameos on debut and are in contention for starts on Saturday.

Axel Disasi is also eligible to make his debut after being forced to sit out Villa's FA Cup win. The Frenchman may be called upon after Ezri Konsa pulled up with a muscle issue. However, Emery is hopeful of having Tyrone Mings at his disposal. Matty Cash and Pau Torres remain sidelined.

Aston Villa predicted lineup vs Ipswich

Aston Villa predicted lineup vs Ipswich (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Garcia, Disasi, Mings, Digne; Tielemans, Kamara; Asensio, Rogers, Ramsey; Watkins.

Ipswich team news

Jaden Philogene joined from Aston Villa in January / Alex Pantling/GettyImages

Jaden Philogene is available to face his former club after joining the Tractor Boys from the Villans early in the January window. The winger won't be joined by Sammie Szmodics in attack, however, after he was forced off with an ankle injury in last week's cup win at Coventry.

Omari Hutchinson will likely start as Ipswich's number ten on Saturday, with Jack Clarke operating down the left.

The visitors are also without Chiedozie Ogbene, Wes Burns, Christian Walton and Conor Chaplin due to injury. With Walton out and Arijanet Muric out of favour, January signing Alex Palmer is expected to make his Premier League debut between the posts.

Ipswich predicted lineup vs Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): Palmer; Tuanzebe, O'Shea, Greaves, Davis; Morsy, Cajuste; Philogene, Hutchinson, Clarke; Delap.

Aston Villa vs Ipswich score prediction

Villa remain a force on home soil, and Emery would've been encouraged by his team's performance in the cup last week. Moreover, Asensio and Rashford's cameos suggested the pair will be instant hits at Villa Park.

There's a sudden freshness to this Villa side despite their availability issues at centre-back, and they could overwhelm an Ipswich team that's looked outmatched on many of their recent Premier League outings.

Their FA Cup triumph at Coventry may give them a bit of a boost, but claiming a result at Villa Park is a tall order.