Aston Villa boss Dean Smith aiming to balance pride with pragmatism in Norwich City clash

Yet Villa boss Dean Smith still approaches tomorrow’s match with Norwich aware of the need to strike a balance between pride and pragmatism.

In an ideal world, Villa would rather Norwich didn’t clinch the Championship title on their turf.

By the same token, there is no question Smith and his team face a far more important match only six days later, when they will host either Albion or Leeds in the first-leg of a play-off semi-final.

Much as the head coach is keen for his team to beat the Canaries, for Villa there really is only one aim which matters.

That means John McGinn, just one booking away from a ban which would rule him out of the play-offs entirely, will not be involved.

Smith will also keep top scorer Tammy Abraham out of the fray, in order to ensure the striker is fully recovered from a shoulder injury when the truly important games roll around.

“The biggest objective for us is promotion through the play-offs, we all know that,” said Smith yesterday.

“But I would not call any game in the Championship a dead rubber. This is far from it.

“Players will get opportunities, simply because I can’t go risking John McGinn with 14 bookings.

“He is not going to be involved. It gives an opportunity for other people but I will pick a team I believe can win the game.”

Villa enter the game on a 12-match unbeaten run which has revived a season that looked well and truly lost barely two months ago.

Smith hopes the intensity of recent games against Rotherham and Bristol City, not to mention the battle with Leeds, will stand his team in good stead for the challenges that await.

“I think it might give us something of an advantage. It is something we will continue to do,” he said.

“The other thing is we are fairly fresh. We have the likes of Jack (Grealish) who had a period out during the season, Axel (Tuanzebe) too. There is also the likes Henri Lansbury and Neil Taylor who have had periods off.

“We have got some players who have been in and out, so we are fairly fresh at the end of what is a tiring campaign when you play 46 games flat out.

“I am looking forward to the games to come now and giving players an opportunity to put their cases forward.”

With club captain James Chester now back training and Kortney Hause potentially featuring tomorrow, after several weeks out with a hip problem, Smith faces the prospect of having a full squad to choose from for the most important games of the season.

He said: “It’s not just competition for the XI but competition for the bench as well.

“It is great to have players coming back from injury and to have players near the top of their ability as well.”

Norwich need just a point to win the title, though a defeat would give Sheffield United the chance to steal it with victory at Stoke.

“They have surprised a few but not me,” said Smith. “I could see the potential they had.”