Possible lineups for Aston Villa vs Newcastle fixture

Aston Villa and Newcastle face off in a high-stakes clash this weekend, with both sides pushing to secure another taste of Champions League football after their long-awaited returns to Europe's top tier.

Villa's run in the competition came to an end in dramatic fashion on Tuesday night, narrowly losing 5-4 on aggregate to Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals. It marked their first appearance in the Champions League since 1983 and further underlined their resurgence under Unai Emery.

Four straight Premier League victories have reignited their top-five hopes, which would be enough to seal Champions League qualification this year. Villa's run-in is anything but simple. Their next four fixtures include direct rivals for Europe in Newcastle, Manchester City, Bournemouth and Fulham.

Newcastle, meanwhile, are in flying form. Five consecutive Premier League wins — either side of lifting the League Cup — have propelled them into third place.

Despite manager Eddie Howe likely missing a third straight match due to pneumonia, the Magpies have shown no signs of slowing down. Nine goals in dominant wins over Manchester United and Crystal Palace last week have them brimming with confidence ahead of this crucial trip to Villa Park.

Aston Villa possible lineup: Martinez (GK); Konsa, Torres, Disasi, Maatsen; Kamara, Tielemans; Rogers, McGinn, Rashford; Watkins.

Newcastle possible lineup: Pope (GK); Trippier, Schar, Burn, Livramento; Guimaraes, Tonali, Joelinton; Murphy, Isak and Barnes.