Aston Villa will be without captain Ron Vlaar for their Premier League trip to Leicester City on Saturday.

The Dutchman's injury woes this season continued with the news that he will miss up to six weeks because of a knee problem which required surgery.

While Vlaar's absence will hurt Villa on the pitch, it may guarantee that the key defender does not leave the club during the January transfer window.

Many teams, including Manchester United, have been linked with a cut-price bid for the 29-year-old, whose contract with the Villans expires in the summer.

England midfielder Fabian Delph is another key name who could be available on a free transfer at the end of the season, and he will also miss the match as he completes his three-match suspension.

While Villa's focus this month is likely to be on retaining their best players, Leicester are keen to add and have already done so with the signings of veteran keeper Mark Schwarzer and Croatian striker Andrej Kramaric.

These are expected to be followed by more arrivals, with Mainz striker Shinji Okazaki and Burnley's Danny Ings reported targets as Nigel Pearson seeks to improve his squad for their fight against the drop.

The Foxes remain bottom of the table and adrift of safety by four points, but have kickstarted their survival bid with victory at Hull City and a draw at Liverpool in which they came from two goals down.

This good form was maintained with a 1-0 win over Newcastle United in the FA Cup, and suddenly the dissenting voices have quietened around the King Power Stadium, and amplified around Villa Park.

Paul Lambert has guided the visitors to 12th in the table after 20 games, five points clear of the relegation zone, but fans are unhappy with the lack of progress and the style of football in place under the Scot.

Villa are comfortably the lowest scorers in the country with only 11 league goals to their name, and there were appeals for Lambert to be sacked during the late 1-0 success over Blackpool in the FA Cup.

Youngster Jack Grealish was one of few to impress against the Championship strugglers and could be given a starting chance to generate fresh excitement, with Gabriel Agbonlahor a doubt with a muscle strain.

Philippe Senderos, Libor Kozak, Kieran Richardson and Nathan Baker are also injury absentees for Lambert, but Ashley Westwood should continue his comeback in midfield, and Brad Guzan will return in goal.

Pearson has lost wingers Riyad Mahrez and Jeffrey Schlupp to the Africa Cup of Nations and so former Villa academy graduate Mark Albrighton and Jamie Vardy could be given starts out wide for the Foxes.

David Nugent will be be rewarded for his Anfield goal with a start up front, with Kramaric not yet available as he waits on a work permit, and Ben Hamer may keep his place between the posts for this weekend.

First-choice stopper Kasper Schmeichel remains sidelined and there are also injury doubts over Danny Drinkwater, Dean Hammond and Esteban Cambiasso, although one should be fit to start in midfield.

Villa have failed to win and netted just once in the league since winning the reverse fixture 2-1 in December.

Leicester:

Form in Premier League: LLLLWD
Form in all competitions: LLLWDW

Possible starting lineup: Hamer; Simpson, Morgan, Wasilewski, Konchesky; Albrighton, James, Drinkwater, Vardy; Ulloa, Nugent

Villa:

Form in Premier League: WLDLDD
Form in all competitions: LDLDDW

Possible starting lineup: Guzan; Hutton, Okore, Clark, Cissokho; Westwood, Sanchez, Cleverley; Weimann, Grealish, Benteke

Sports Mole says: 2-1