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Aston Villa boss Dean Smith set for welcome fitness boost

Villa boss Dean Smith is set for a timely boost this week with as many as five players returning to fitness, writes Matt Maher.

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Smith is hopeful midfield trio Henri Lansbury, Mile Jedinak and Birkir Bjarnason will all be back available for Sunday’s showdown with Championship leaders Leeds, a fixture which heralds the start of a busy festive programme.

Winger Albert Adomah should also return after shaking off the ankle injury sustained in last month’s derby win over Blues.

Jack Grealish, meanwhile, will continue to be assessed for the shin problem which kept him out of Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Stoke.

Smith found himself with just three fit senior midfielders to choose from for the visit of the Potters.

He said: “From where we have been, light on numbers, hopefully next week will give us food for thought.

“We had seven injuries for Saturday’s game, Grealish included.

“I’m hoping for Leeds United that Bjarnason, Lansbury and Jedinak will be back.

“Albert should be back, too. When you’ve got players of that quality out it will affect the levels of training as well.”

Bjarnason has been Villa’s most long-term absentee. The Iceland international started the first three games of Smith’s reign before suffering a groin injury which required surgery and has kept him sidelined for nearly two months.

Adomah will add another weapon to a Villa attack which still managed to notch another two goals in Saturday’s draw despite being neutralised for much of the match by the Potters defence.

Tammy Abraham and Jonathan Kodjia were both on the mark as Smith’s men twice came from behind to claim a point.

The boss said: “We didn’t create enough chances. But I’ve got players who will score goals, that’s one guarantee.

“It doesn’t matter who we play against – Stoke, Leeds, West Brom, we’ll score goals.

“We have to make sure we don’t give as many big chances away.

“I thought it was a very scrappy game to be honest, mainly due to the conditions.

“We didn’t have as much quality as we had in recent weeks.”