Town boss Paul Lambert has made three changes to his team as the Blues face his old club Aston Villa at Villa Park with Bartosz Bialkowski, Myles Kenlock and Flynn Downes all starting.
Bialkowski returns in goal for Dean Gerken, who drops to the bench, while Kenlock comes in for Callum Elder at left-back with the Australian also among the subs.
At the centre of the defence James Collins, facing his old club, is at centre-half alongside Luke Chambers. Downes comes into a three-man midfield with Cole Skuse and Trevoh Chalobah.
Will Keane starts as the central striker with Alan Judge on the right and Freddie Sears on the left with Collin Quaner also moving to the bench.
Villa make two changes with Glenn Whelan and Anwar El Ghazi coming into the team for Birkir Bjarnason, who is missing from the 18, and Yannick Bolasie, whose loan from Everton has been cut short, while Mile Jedinak is back on the bench after injury. Ex-Blues midfielder Conor Hourihane starts.
Aston Villa: Kalinic, Taylor, Chester, Whelan, McGinn, Hourihane, Abraham, Hutton, El Ghazi, Elphick, Adomah. Subs: Steer, Jedinak, Davis, Kodjia, Elmohamady, Hause, O’Hare.
Town: Bialkowski, Pennington, Chambers, Collins, Kenlock, Chalobah, Skuse, Downes, Judge, Sears, Keane. Subs: Gerken, Jackson, Nolan, Bishop, Nsiala, Elder, Quaner. Referee: Keith Stroud (Hampshire).