Express & Star

Aston Villa to assess injured duo

Villa were due to assess injured duo Ezri Konsa and Keinan Davis as players returned to training following their winter break.

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Defender Konsa was withdrawn at half-time in Villa’s 2-1 defeat at Bournemouth with a muscle injury.

Striker Davis, meanwhile, pulled up while playing for the club’s under-23s last Monday.

While boss Dean Smith has cover for Konsa in the shape of Bjorn Engels, Davis’s fitness is a concern due to Villa’s lack of options up front.

The 21-year-old had missed three months with a hamstring injury before encouraging substitute performances off the bench against Leicester and the Cherries.

January signings Mbwana Samatta and Borja Baston are the club’s only other senior strikers following the season-ending injury sustained by record buy Wesley.

Baston, a surprise deadline day capture from Championship Swansea, was due to meet his new team-mates for the first time as Villa began preparations for Sunday’s visit of Tottenham and the resumption of their Premier League survival fight.

Results over the weekend largely went in their favour, with Watford’s draw at Brighton and the postponement of West Ham’s trip to Manchester City ensuring Smith’s men remain outside the bottom three.

The clash with Spurs offers Villa the chance to improve their record against teams in the top half of the table. Just four of their 25 points this season have been earned against the current top 10.