Nigel Reo-Coker stands by to return for Aston Villa against West Ham United, his former club, tonight as he aims to prove that he and Martin O’Neill have buried the hatchet over their training-ground contretemps in September.

The former England Under-21 captain, who could deputise for James Milner or Stiliyan Petrov in midfield, knows that he would get a hostile reception at the club he left in acrimonious circumstances in July 2007.

Reo-Coker became a hate figure at West Ham despite leading the team to the FA Cup Final in 2006 and making them a £7 million profit upon signing for Villa.

Milner is struggling to recover from the calf injury that forced him out of Saturday’s 1-1 draw away to Everton at half-time, while Petrov, the captain, has a better chance of playing at Upton Park after suffering a shin injury at Goodison Park. Victory would lift O’Neill’s team into fourth place in the Barclays Premier League.

Reo-Coker has yet to start a Premier League game since he and the manager fell out, but he has gone on as a substitute recently and started last week’s Carling Cup triumph over Sunderland, defying expectations that he had played his last match for Villa.

Alternatively, if Petrov plays, the Villa manager could opt for a three-man forward line. He recalled Emile Heskey to the starting line-up against Everton and saw John Carew, who went on as a substitute for Milner, score his first league goal of the season after Gabriel Agbonlahor, the leading goalscorer, had moved out to the right flank.

“It’s a balancing act,” O’Neill said. “With the strength in depth in the squad, we do have players who can come in and do it. But if Stiliyan and James were both out, it would be a serious loss to our midfield.”

Villa will make a change at right back because Carlos Cuéllar is suspended after receiving two yellow cards at Goodison Park. Luke Young stands by to make his first appearance of the season. The yellow card shown to Stephen Warnock against Everton has been rescinded, as a case of mistaken identity, but O’Neill’s call for Cuéllar’s dismissal to be reviewed is likely to fall on deaf ears.

Scott Parker, available after his second suspension of the season, should return for West Ham, who are seeking their first home win of the season, because Radoslav Kovac is banned.