Team news ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash between Aston Villa and Sunderland at Villa Park.

Villa manager Alex McLeish will check on the fitness of a quartet of players before finalising his side to face Sunderland.

Utility player Ciaran Clark and Chris Herd (both head), fellow defender Stephen Warnock (ankle) and winger Marc Albrighton (hamstring) have returned to training and will be assessed in the next 24 hours.

Striker Darren Bent has resumed light running after his ankle operation although he will not feature again this season.

Defender John O'Shea will return to the Sunderland squad.

The Republic of Ireland international has missed the last five games with a calf problem sustained early in the 3-1 victory over QPR on March 24.

However, midfielder Lee Cattermole remains on the sidelines with a knee problem and is joined by full-back Kieran Richardson (groin) and striker Connor Wickham (ankle).

Villa (from): Given, Guzan, Hutton, Lichaj, Cuellar, Herd, Collins, Baker, Bannan, Clark, Gardner, Warnock, Ireland, N'Zogbia, Agbonlahor, Heskey, Weimann, Marshall, Johnson, Stevens, Delfouneso, Delph, Albrighton.

Sunderland (from): Mignolet, Gordon, Bardsley, Bridge, Turner, O'Shea, Kilgallon, Kyrgiakos, Lynch, Gardner, Larsson, McClean, Vaughan, Meyler, Colback, Sessegnon, Bendtner, Ji, Campbell.