The striker suffered a hip injury in Valencia a week ago but has been declared fit to play against the side he represented last season on loan.

Cesar Azpilicueta, N’Golo Kante and Andreas Christensen are also back in the side as they were for that draw in Spain. Emerson, Jorginho and Fikayo Tomori make way - they are all on the bench.

With Reece James selected, captain Azpilicueta is likely to start at left-back.

Chelsea Kepa; James, Christensen, Zouma, Azpilicueta (c); Kante, Kovacic, Mount; Willian, Abraham, Pulisic.

Subs Caballero, Tomori, Emerson, Jorginho, Hudson-Odoi, Giroud, Batshuayi.

Aston Villa Heaton; El Mohamady, Konsa, Mings, Targett; McGinn, Nakamba, Hourihane; Trezeguet, Wesley, Grealish (c).

Subs Nyland, Taylor, Engels, Douglas Luiz, Lansbury, Jota, Nakamba.

Stats recap

Chelsea average 3.5 goals a game in Villa’s last nine Premier League visits to Stamford Bridge. Our 8-0 victory in 2012 equalled our all-time biggest league win.Chelsea have won our last four Premier League home games against Aston Villa, by an aggregate score of 15-1. We’ve never won five consecutive league games against them at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea's recent form

We did not concede a single foul against West Ham in the last game, the first time we have ever done so in an entire Premier League game since OPTA started recording data in 2003/04.We have scored nine league goals at Stamford Bridge compared to 19 away.Chelsea have lost just one of our last 55 Premier League home games against promoted sides (44 wins 10 draws), against Bournemouth in December 2015.We are looking to avoid losing consecutive home league games for the first time since November 2011.Our game against West Ham on Saturday was the first time in 15 home Premier League games we failed to find the net.Frank Lampard scored more goals against Aston Villa for Chelsea than against any other club (14). In the 26 games he won 13, drew seven and lost six.