Aston Villa boss Steve Bruce rules out move for Lewis Grabban

The Bournemouth hotshot, who has plundered 11 goals in just 17 appearances on loan at Sunderland, was this week linked with a switch to Villa, who have experienced a severe striker shortage.

But Bruce, eager to find a replacement for the injured Jonathan Kodjia, has made clear Grabban is firmly out of his price range.

The boss must instead focus his search on the loan market, where he has already enjoyed success this term with the recruitment of Sam Johnstone, Josh Onomah and Robert Snodgrass.

“I have said for three months I am looking at loans,” said Bruce. “How can I be linked with Lewis Grabban? I haven’t got the money. Put a line through that one.”

Villa do not expect to have Kodjia, who has undergone surgery on his right ankle twice in the last six months, back available until the latter stages of the season at best.

Teenager Keinan Davis has in recent weeks been the club’s only fit centre-forward.

Bruce said: “I would love a replacement for Kodjia. But as I have already said, we are in a position now where we are looking at the loan market.

“Then it becomes very restrictive. That is where we find ourselves. That is the sort of market we will be in.

“Yes, we will do our utmost. It’s not doom and gloom because there are three players – Sam Johnstone, Robert Snodgrass and Josh Onomah – who are loans and have done fantastically well.

“Let’s hope we can pull another rabbit out of the hat.”

Villa’s injury troubles deepened further yesterday when it emerged centre-back Chris Samba faces a month on the sidelines with a hamstring problem. John Terry is still a fortnight away from completing his recovery from a broken metatarsal.

“We seem to take two steps forward and three back at the moment,” said Bruce.

“But it is what it is, we have picked up a few injuries, most of them have been in games so we are not going to beat ourselves up over training regimes and all the rest of it.”