Express & Star

Dean Smith provides injury update following Aston Villa defeat

Villa expect to welcome back Tyrone Mings for Wednesday’s trip to Tottenham but Matty Cash won’t play again this season.

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The right-back has been ruled out for around a fortnight with a hamstring injury sustained in last week’s 0-0 draw with Everton, meaning his impressive first Premier League campaign is over.

Mings also missed yesterday’s 3-2 defeat at Crystal Palace with an ankle injury but should be back for Spurs.

“Cashy will miss the last two games,” said boss Dean Smith. “It is a recurrence of a hamstring injury. Nowhere near as bad as last time but enough to put him out for a couple of weeks. Tyrone should be fit for Wednesday.”

Smith admitted Mings’ leadership skills had perhaps been missed as Villa twice threw away the lead to lose at Selhurst Park.

Goals from John McGinn and Anwar El Ghazi were cancelled out by strikes from Christian Benteke and Wilfried Zaha respectively before Tyrick Mitchell snatched a late winner for the Eagles.

It was the fifth time in seven matches Villa had failed to win after going in front.

Smith said: “I’m bitterly disappointed and annoyed. I came in at half-time and felt we had played really well and were unfortunate not to be more than a goal to the good.

“But I thought in the second half they pressed us a lot more. We never played with the same intensity and quality on the ball. That allowed them to get a foothold in the game.

“It summed up the last month or two. We have been better on the ball in the last few weeks and were in the first half. We lacked intensity and quality in the second half.

“The players are annoyed and frustrated because it is a game we all feel we should have won.

“You are not going to always hold onto leads you have got. There are 11 other players fighting to turn things around. Three of the games were against Manchester City, Liverpool and Manchester United, three of the best teams in the land.”