Nathan Baker: James Chester is Aston Villa's 'Mr Calm'

Baker and Chester have been at the heart of three wins and a draw since being paired together by new boss Steve Bruce. And the duo are expected to be back together at Brighton & Hove Albion on Friday night.

"James has been really impressive – on the pitch and in the dressing room," said Baker. "He's a top lad around the place. He's a very positive influence.

"He's a quiet character in many ways but when he needs to get his point across, he certainly does, whether that's in conversation in the dressing room during the week at Bodymoor Heath or in the dressing room on matchday.

"His displays on the field speak for themselves. He's always an eight out of 10 in the ratings and consistently one of the best performers each and every week. His standards are very high – and they never drop.

"The main factor I notice with James on the pitch is his calmness. He's Mr Calm. Often I think the best defensive players are the ones you don't tend to notice during the 90 minutes because they're just doing their job without any fuss – James is always one of those players.

"He might not make a killer pass or score the winning goal but he's consistently in the backline just doing what he needs to do to keep the opposition out.

"Nothing fazes him either. His personality is very relaxed. There's no fuss with him."

Meanwhile, goalkeeper Jed Steer is set to miss several months of action after rupturing his Achilles.