Steve Bruce admits Aston Villa must stay patient with Jonathan Kodjia following striker's return to fitness
Steve Bruce has admitted Villa cannot expect too much, too soon from Jonathan Kodjia after the striker made his long-awaited return from injury.
Kodjia is again expected to be on the bench for Tuesday’s home game against Reading, with Bruce intending to use last season’s top scorer only as an impact substitute for the foreseeable future.
The 28-year-old, who has twice suffered a fractured ankle in the past year, made his first appearance in five months during Saturday’s 0-0 draw at Hull.
Bruce believes there may not be enough time before the end of the season for Kodjia to hit top form.
But the manager believes there is value to be had in using him late on in matches, as Villa aim to finish the campaign with a flourish before a likely tilt at the play-offs.
“Before Kodjia’s at his best, he needs a pre-season and seven or eight games,” said Bruce. “We’re playing catch-up with him.
“The question for now is, can he give us a spark off the bench? It was a lot to ask on Saturday. You can see that he’s short at the moment. Why wouldn’t he be? He’s had two operations on the same ankle.”
Villa head into Tuesday’s game looking to snap a three-game winless run which has all but ended their automatic promotion chances. Bruce’s men have picked up only one point since thrashing Wolves 4-1 last month. The manager has called on his team to rediscover the intensity they showed in the derby clash.
“We need to repeat the performance because we haven’t got near those heights physically and mentally since,” said Bruce.
“That’s the disappointing thing for me because the last three games we haven’t been there.”
