The Aviva Grand Prix always delivers star-studded line ups and this year is no exception. In an arena which has played host to 14 world records over the years, Asafa Powell makes a rare indoor appearance and a capacity crowd will also be able to see Jessica Ennis compete in two events.

Britain’s two other big hopes for the World Indoors in Istanbul next month as well as the Olympics, Mo Farah and Holly Bleasdale, will also be in action on February 18 at what is arguably the top international indoor event on the calendar.

There are some tasty head-to-head clashes, such as Liu Xiang vs Dayron Robles in the sprint hurdles, while several world-leaders will also be in action, including Lerone Clarke (60m), Tianna Madison (60m), Genzebe Dibaba (1500m) and Meseret Defar (3000m). Here’s our event-by-event preview…

Men’s 60m » Entry list
Asafa Powell last competed over 60m at the 2004 World Indoor Championships when he exited in the semi-finals. But his explosive start makes him the favourite to win in Birmingham where he’ll face training partner Nesta Carter, Daniel Bailey, who set an Antiguan record of 6.54 on this track in 2009, and Commonwealth champion Lerone Clarke, who clocked a world-leading 6.50 last weekend.

The glittering field also includes popular former world champion Kim Collins, while trials silver medallist Andrew Robertson is the best of the Brits.

Men’s 400m » Entry list race A race B
Two-time world indoor fourth placer Nery Brenes from Costa Rica was disqualified for a lane infringement last weekend in Karlsruhe and his time of 45.90 – what would have been a big PB – was scratched. He will be fired up to replicate that time when he takes on world indoor champion Chris Brown.

UK champion Nigel Levine and European silver medallist Michael Bingham are in the main race, while the national race includes European indoor bronze medallist Richard Buck and Rob Tobin.

Men’s 800m » Entry list
Joe Thomas has looked superb this season, but how will he fare against a higher calibre of competition? The 24-year-old is clearly capable of a sub-1:47 performance and this race should be a fast one. European champion Marcin Lewandowski from Poland will be in the field along with Mohamed Aman of Ethiopia. Commonwealth champion Boaz Lalang of Kenya, who was behind Thomas in Glasgow last month, is also entered.

Men’s 1500m » Entry list
The entry list includes a trio of sub-3:30 athletes comprising recently crowned US 5000m record-holder Bernard Lagat, Augustine Choge from Kenya and former half-miler Amine Laalou from Morocco. Andy Baddeley returned to form with a promising 5000m indoor PB last weekend, which augurs well for a fast race at his specialist event.

Men’s two miles » Entry list
Mo Farah has set 3000m and 5000m records in this stadium as well as the national indoor two-mile record of 8:17.06. The 39-year-old European indoor record of 8:13.2 should definitely be within his grasp and there is added incentive for a fast time too, as training partner Galen Rupp has the world-leading mark at 8:09.72.

The race will by no means be a procession though. Farah faces Eliud Kipchoge, who ran 7:32.03 for 3000m last weekend, and double Commonwealth champion and occasional training partner Moses Kipsiro from Uganda.

Men’s 60m hurdles » Entry list
The two most recent Olympic 110m hurdles champions in Liu Xiang and Dayron Robles go head to head for the first time since the controversial world final in Daegu where Robles was disqualified for obstructing Liu. They have met three times indoors with Robles leading the count 2-1, although the Cuban suffered a surprise defeat in Karlsruhe to American Jeff Porter, who also lines up.

Two more Americans, Kevin Craddock and Aries Merritt, have also run faster than Robles this year at 7.53 to Robles’s 7.55. Britain’s No.1, Andy Pozzi, has been a consistent sub-7.7 performer this winter and he will likely need this to advance to the final.

Men’s high jump » Entry list
UK indoor champion Samson Oni and British No.1 Robbie Grabarz failed to find their best form at the trials, but the leading British duo will be in contention for a high-profile victory. Watch out for Michal Kabelka of Slovakia though, who broke through last week by improving his PB from 2.24m to 2.31m.

Men’s long jump » Entry list
Olympic silver medallist Godfrey Mokoena of South Africa heads the entries, although the talented and erratic European junior record-holder Eusebio Caceres of Spain could cause an upset. JJ Jegede is capable of challenging for a high finish and his 7.96m indoor PB from Sheffield ranks him just shy of the world’s top 10 for 2012.

Women’s 60m » Entry list
The overriding theme in the 60m is that of the comeback and the fastest athlete in the field is Tianna Madison, whose form has largely been in the doldrums since she won the world long jump title in 2005 as a teenager. However, the American has reinvented herself as a sprinter and opened her season with a big PB of 7.02 in Fayetteville to defeat Veronica Campbell-Brown and Allyson Felix.

Her challengers include Bulgaria’s Ivet Lalova and Jeanette Kwakye, who appears to be heading back towards her UK record 7.08 form of 2008. Asha Philip is also making a great comeback this year and she will be looking to make up for her false-start disqualification in Sheffield last weekend.

Women’s 400m » Entry list
Denisa Rosolova of the Czech Republic won a bronze medal in the long jump in this arena at the European Indoor Championships in 2007, but has since established herself as a 400m specialist. The European indoor champion takes on the three medallists from Sheffield in Shana Cox, Nadine Okyere and Nicola Sanders, who makes her first appearance in the NIA since her 50.02 UK record in 2007.

Women’s 800m » Entry list
Jenny Meadows has withdrawn due to an Achilles niggle, as her participation at the World Indoors looks more and more in doubt. USA’s Morgan Uceny is much improved since finishing second to Meadows last year and the 1500m specialist will provide a tough test to UK indoor champion Marilyn Okoro.

Women’s 1500m » Entry list
A sub-four minute performance is a rarity indoors, but Genzebe Dibaba is capable. The Ethiopian ran the fifth-fastest ever time of 4:00.13 in Karlsruhe last weekend and the 21-year-old must have Burka’s national record of 3:59.75 in her sights. Dibaba’s strongest opposition will likely come from world silver medallist Hannah England.

Women’s 3000m » Entry list
Triple world champion Vivian Cheruiyot of Kenya was forced to withdraw at the eleventh hour due to illness, but the race still features the three fastest indoor 3000m runners of all time. World indoor record-holder Meseret Defar will take on her Ethiopian compatriots Meselech Melkamu and Sentayehu Ejigu in what could be a very quick race. European indoor champion Helen Clitheroe started her season with her best-ever opener of 8:45.59, which bodes well for an improvement on her 8:39.81 PB.

Women’s 60m hurdles » Entry list
To put Jessica Ennis’s pair of 7.95 performances last weekend into global context, she was only six hundredths short of Lolo Jones’ world-leading mark and the European heptathlon champion is equal-fastest in the field with world silver medallist Danielle Carruthers based on season’s bests. This will be the perfect opportunity for the City of Sheffield athlete to improve her PB as she also faces a trio of talented Canadians – Olympic finalist Angela Whyte and world finalists Nikkita Holder and Phylicia George.

Women’s pole vault » Entry list
Holly Bleasdale holds three of the world’s seven best vaults this winter and the UK record-holder will be in contention for another high-profile victory. The 20-year-old faces 2009 world champion Anna Rogowska, along with her experienced Polish compatriot Monika Pyrek.

Women’s long jump » Entry list
Shara Proctor almost claimed the UK indoor record in Sheffield and she is the leading athlete in the field in terms of season’s bests. World indoor bronze medallist Keila Costa of Brazil might pose a threat, although her indoor PB is inferior to Proctor’s 6.68m. Jessica Ennis, meanwhile, will be looking to advance on her season’s best of 6.19m.

» The Aviva Grand Prix is being televised live on BBC 1 from 1pm. Click here for live results. See next week’s Athletics Weekly for full coverage from Birmingham.