Steve Bruce: Aston Villa injury crisis is my "worst nightmare"

Star man Jonathan Kodjia appears set for another extended spell on the sidelines after aggravating an ankle injury while away on international duty with the Ivory Coast.

Having lost influential skipper John Terry to a broken metatarsal earlier this month, Bruce will also be without Scott Hogan for the foreseeable future, after the striker underwent emergency surgery on his bowel.

Teenager Keinan Davis is now Villa’s only fit striker heading toward the busy festive period. The 19-year-old will be given support in attack by Callum O’Hare, Josh Onomah and Jack Grealish, the latter himself only recently recovered from a serious kidney injury.

Bruce said: “It’s b******s but when can you do? It is what it is.

“It’s your world’s worst but what can you do? You have to get on with it.

“It was never going to be easy at this club. I have learned that in 12 months. Someone is going to have to come to the party.”

Davis has been a key figure in Villa’s climb up the Championship table since making his full senior debut back in August.

Bruce added: “Keinan in particular has had a wonderful rise. There is obviously a wonderful opportunity now for Jack, now he is fit.

“It could be a stage for him too now. We played very well at Preston a few weeks ago with Onomah off the front two.

“The problem is he is a young boy, Keinan. At the moment we have him and Callum O’Hare. Hogan’s not there, Gabby (Agbonlahor) is not there and of course Kodjia, who is the big player.”

Kodjia had missed Villa’s two matches immediately prior to the international break after rolling the same ankle he broke in April, an injury which kept him sidelined for more than four months and caused him to sit out the start of the campaign.

After deciding to travel with the Ivory Coast ahead of their crunch World Cup qualifier with Morocco, Kodjia then suffered another injury to the ankle during his first training session with the national team.

The 28-year-old, who scored 19 goals last season, will see a specialist on Monday when Villa will learn the true extent of the problem but Bruce has already admitted to fearing the worst.

The manager also insisted the club had been “powerless” to prevent Kodjia going away on international duty.

“We could not stop him,” said Bruce. “We have been in constant touch with their people. I could not stop him, it was a big World Cup game.

“How could I stop him playing in that when he thought he was going to be fit? He was touch and go to play against Sheffield Wednesday and we knew in another week he was going to be OK.

“Unfortunately his first intensive training session, what can you do? The first real intensive training session he has done has brought it to life.

“He has broken down in that training session and we have now had him here, had scans. We are waiting for the specialists but it is not good.”