Aston Villa vs Norwich - Match preview

Smith is guaranteed a good reception from home supporters when he returns to his former club in charge of a Norwich team who must win to retain any realistic chance of beating the drop from the Premier League.

Comfortably the club’s most successful appointment for more than a decade, Smith achieved the unusual feat for a Villa boss of leaving his successor a tough act to follow when he was sacked in early November after three years of largely impressive progress.

Now nearly six months on, it would be fair to say many supporters are yet to make up their minds about Gerrard.

The 41-year-old achieved his first remit of steering the club away from immediate relegation danger but results since February have been underwhelming, with Villa taking just 11 points from 11 matches to slip back to 15th in the table, just one place higher than when he took the reins.

In many ways it is much too soon to form any firm judgement on Gerrard’s tenure. Barring a completely disastrous set of results during the run-in, he will be at the helm next season and the summer transfer window is shaping up to be pivotal to his plans of remoulding the playing squad.

Yet neither can the recent downturn be entirely ignored and the final six matches of the season will go a long way to setting the tone heading into the close season.

Last weekend’s draw at Leicester at least avoided Gerrard matching the run of five straight defeats endured by Smith earlier in the season and reduced any serious scrutiny of Villa’s progress ahead of tomorrow’s match. But a poor result and performance against the Canaries would erode goodwill among fans and it is pointless to pretend there isn’t a little more riding on the fixture because of who is present in the opposing dugout.

There is also Villa’s position in the table to consider. Sitting eight points clear of the drop zone, the chances of being dragged back into a relegation scrap are remote in the extreme but a win tomorrow would completely eradicate any fears which naturally linger among fans.

Gerrard has won only three of his 10 Premier League matches at Villa Park to date and his team head into the game having not scored from open play in their last four.

“We are playing against a team fighting for their lives,” he said. “The onus will be on us to create and open the door, I am sure it will. It is vital we go in with the right attitude. That is very important.

“I have every belief we have enough goalscorers in the building, in the group and the starting XI.”

Bertrand Traore will be assessed after missing the draw at Leicester with a groin injury, while Lucas Digne (collarbone) remains out. Defender Kortney Hause and midfielder Morgan Sanson are Villa’s other injury concerns.