Aston Villa’s selection gambit without Jack Grealish

Grealish will be missing for a fifth straight Premier League match when Villa visit Newcastle tonight.

The 25-year-old continues to be sidelined with a shin injury, his recovery further hindered by an illness which forced him to spend part of this week away from Bodymoor Heath.

Boss Dean Smith is hopeful Grealish can return for the visit of Tottenham on Sunday week, Villa’s final fixture before a two-week international break. England boss Gareth Southgate is also expected to check on his fitness, with the Three Lions scheduled to play three World Cup qualifiers before the end of the month.

Right-back Matty Cash’s quicker-than-expected return from a hamstring injury will boost Villa for the trip to Tyneside, with Smith also able to again call on Anwar El Ghazi after the winger missed last weekend’s 0-0 draw against Wolves with an infected toe.

But it is the continued absence of talisman Grealish which remains a concern, with Villa having won just one of the four matches he has missed so far.

Smith, a keen chess player, yesterday admitted the current scenario was similar to losing the strongest piece on the board.

He quipped: “I think I would describe Jack as the queen rather than a king. That is the strongest piece on the board anyway.

“Jack being out has been an opportunity for others. I think our results have been indifferent like many other clubs in the Premier League since New Year. Not many teams have got any rhythm.

“Our results have been indifferent with Jack in the team as well as out of the team over the last eight or nine games.

“We put in a really good performance without him at Leeds and should have got a result against Sheffield United without him.”