Villa defender Freddie Bouma has admitted his recent ankle setback was even harder to stomach than the horror injury suffered a year ago.

The Holland international, who dislocated his ankle so horrifically in Intertoto Cup action against Odense last July, had hoped to return to Villa’s first team in the final weeks of last season after making his comeback for the reserves against Chelsea in March.

But a month later he was forced to undergo keyhole surgery to remove particles from the ankle – a setback which he is still recovering from now.

He said: “The first eight months after the injury were fine, because I realised the magnitude of the problem and the approximate timeframe.

“I understood that and could deal with it, no problem. But the last two months were mentally tough. It became obvious I needed another operation.

“That was hard to take but it is a challenge I’m determined to beat.”