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Villa boosted by return of three
Tuesday 24th August 2010, 10:59AM BST.
Villa expect James Collins, Gabby Agbonlahor and Carlos Cuellar to be fit for Thursday’s Europa League showdown at home to Rapid Vienna.
The trio all came through 45 minutes of a behind-closed-doors game at Bodymoor Heath yesterday with Agbonlahor, who has been nursing a back problem, among the goalscorers in a 5-0 win over Burton Albion.
Collins has not played since limping off with a calf injury in the first minute of last month’s friendly at Walsall, while fellow defender Cuellar had to be replaced in the Guadiana Cup game with Benfica with a hamstring problem.
Caretaker boss Kevin MacDonald said: “Depending on how their bodies react, all three players should be fit and in the squad for the second leg of our Europa League play-off game against Rapid Vienna on Thursday.
“We will have to wait and see if there are any reactions but, at this moment, we are hopeful that they will be able to return.”
The return of three key senior players would come as a huge boost for the Europa League clash, after Villa were hammered 6-0 at Newcastle on Sunday.
But MacDonald has vowed to stick with “old-fashioned values” as the team bid to bounce back from their Tyneside torment.
He said: “I think players are very respectful of you if you are hard but fair.
“I’m not saying I’m either, but I’m just saying you’ve got to be aware of more than football and be aware of their needs and requirements.
“I tend to not go away from what you would say were the old fashioned values that were taught to me as a football player.
“If it was good enough for the players I used to play with at Liverpool, then it’s good enough for the players I’m trying to coach.”
Steve Sidwell (Achilles) and Andreas Weimann (ankle) are doubts for the game.
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