Injury ends Gardner’s season

Villa boss Martin O’Neill has confirmed Craig Gardner’s season is over.

The 21-year-old utility man suffered a thigh injury playing for the England under-21s at Molineux on March 25.

Gardner was expected to be out for two to three weeks, but the full-back or midfielder tried to return too early and that only delayed his comeback.

Now, with Villa ending their season at West Ham on Sunday, time has run out – O’Neill says the Yardley-born youngster has no chance of making it.

“He has no chance for Sunday,” said O’Neill. “He’s been taken out of it altogether. He wanted to come back earlier – he’d play now – but Roddy McDonald [Villa club doctor] has decided we’ll take him out now, so we’re not rushing him back and we can get him ready for next season.”

The circumstances surrounding the injury upset O’Neill, after Gardner got injured and indicated to the England bench he wanted to come off during the friendly against Poland only to be left on until half-time.

“Considering he hasn’t played since the England under-21s game on March 25, I could never have seen this at the time of the injury,” said the boss.

“That’s disappointing for us, but particularly disappointing for the lad. But we can’t do anything about it.”