Mile Jedinak (calf) and Glenn Whelan (shoulder) have trained, but Grealish is only due to begin light training after his shin injury next week.

Ipswich forward Jack Lankester (back) has been ruled out for several weeks.

And Emyr Huws remains sidelined following his serious knee injury.

Huws scored the winner when Ipswich were victorious at Villa Park in February 2017, but two goals from Albert Adomah were enough to settle last season's fixture.

Villa, who have won just once in eight league games, start the day 13th, a place lower in the Championship table than they were when Steve Bruce was sacked in October.

Ipswich, who have won just three times all season - but twice in 14 games since Lambert took charge on 28 October - are seven points adrift of safety.

Match facts

• Ipswich boss Paul Lambert will be making his first return to Villa Park since being sacked as Aston Villa boss in February 2015.
• Lambert has recorded one win against Villa in his only meeting since he left, a 1-0 win with Wolves at Molineux in January 2017.
• Ipswich have picked up just one away point out of a possible 18 since Lambert took charge on 28 October.
• Tammy Abraham has scored nine goals in his last five home games - and not figured on the winning side in any of them.
• After 28 games of the season, only two other Championship sides, Ipswich (48) and Rotherham United (46), have conceded more league goals this season than Villa (45).
• Villa have shipped more goals at home (26 in 14 games) than any other side in the Championship.