Villa chiefs today assured manager Gerard Houllier that his job is safe and will give him every chance of returning to management if he makes a full recovery.

The Villa boss is currently undergoing tests to determine the exact nature of his health problems and has been told by the club’s hierarchy to rest up for the remainder of the season having been admitted to hospital with chest pains.

Houllier, 63, has already been visited by chief executive Paul Faulkner and will speak to owner Randy Lerner who has flown in to attend Villa’s Premier League match with Stoke tomorrow.

With Villa almost certain to avoid the drop, the claret and blues will not seek to appoint an interim manager until the end of the season with assistant boss Gary McAllister handed the reins at Houllier’s request.

McAllister also visited Houllier at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham yesterday and the pair are understood to have discussed training and tactics for Villa’s clash with Stoke.

The club are extremely concerned that Houllier, who was rushed to hospital for an 11-hour operation on his heart during Liverpool’s match with Leeds United in 2001, does not return before he is physically able to do so.

But assurances have been made to Houllier that he can resume duties in the future and the club have not begun a search for a successor.

One potential stumbling block for his comeback is the concern expressed by the Frenchman’s wife Isabelle who was cautious about her husband’s return to the daily stresses of the Premier League on his appointment as Villa boss.

Striker Darren Bent, who was signed by Houllier for a club-record fee of £24m during the January transfer window has joined the rest of the Villa squad in wishing the manager  a quick return.

“All the players wish the gaffer a speedy recovery,” said Bent. “On a personal note, he’s come in and taken me to the club. He’s been fantastic — he’s worked closely with me and he’s trying to make me a better player.

“We want him back as soon as possible. But his health comes first and we need him to get better.”