Vela may get chance

Bolton goes into the match - the first of two games in hand it enjoys over its relegation rivals - in 19th spot, and Coyle concedes his side is struggling for numbers in the middle of the park after a "freak season" for injuries.

Having approached the campaign with a variety of central midfield options, Bolton now has just one fully fit senior player in the position in the shape of Nigel Reo-Coker.

Mark Davies missed training on Monday after suffering a knock against Swansea, leaving Vela - who made his debut as an 89th-minute substitute in that game - in contention for a starting place.

If Davies is ruled out he would join the likes of Lee Chung-yong (broken leg), Stuart Holden (cruciate ligaments), Ricardo Gardner (hip), Darren Pratley (illness) and Sean Davis (knee) on the sidelines, while fellow midfielder Fabrice Muamba is still making a tentative recovery from his on-field cardiac arrest.

Reflecting on the fitness problems that have left his side battling for its Premier League future, Coyle said: "We're decimated for numbers again. Mark Davies has a knock and we're hoping he'll be okay.

"(If not) I think I'm left with Nigel Reo-Coker of my senior midfielders, having had eight at the start of the season.

"This has been a real freak season, starting in pre-season with the cruciate ligaments and the leg breaks and culminating in a number of other things that have happened. We've probably been dealt a lot of uncontrollables.

"There's Nigel and Mark Davies, possibly. And we also have young Josh Vela, who's going to be a top, top player so we'll patch it up and look to do our very best to get the points available to us.

"It won't faze us because he [Vela] has the ability."

Coyle's threadbare squad may be tested to the limit with the extra fixture burden it faces, but he sees the positives in having more games and more points to play for than his rivals.

"There are six points available from the games in hand. If you told me we'd get six points from those games, you'd do somersaults to get them," he said.

"We'd have loved to have those points in the bag, but we have the opportunity and we have to maximise that opportunity.

"We have to make sure we are ready to give five big performances and pick up enough points to stay in the league.

"The bottom line is that we decide our own fate."

While Bolton is primarily fighting Blackburn, QPR and Wigan for survival, Villa is still vulnerable in 15th.

Coyle added: "What I think you'll see is two teams going all out to win the match because we realise how important three points are at this stage of the season."