TRAORE’S UNLEASHED TO FIRE VILLA’S PREM REVIVAL

DEAN SMITH is backing Bertrand Traore to be a hit for born-again Aston Villa after releasing the shackles.

The Burkina Faso forward heads for Stamford Bridge fortified by goals in back-to-back 3-0 wins against West Brom and Crystal Palace.

And Traore was the best player on the pitch against Palace until Villa boss Smith was forced to sacrifice him in the reshuffle after Tyrone Mings’ red card. Smith said: “I wouldn’t have brought him to the football club if I didn’t feel he had that hunger to succeed. He’s had a couple of really productive seasons at Lyon but they changed shape and went with wing-backs which didn’t perhaps suit his style.

“We managed to encourage him to come to Aston Villa and we believe in the player we’ve got.

“He’ll get better, he wants to improve at the training ground, and he’s getting better.

“What he hasn’t had – with Trezeguet and Jack Grealish so productive in wide areas for us – is pitch time.

“But he’s started to grow as a player, he makes space for himself, his all-round game has improved, he’s got a great game understanding tactically – and an eye for a goal as well.”

Smith fears his players will feel the effects of Boxing Day’s huge effort to beat Palace with 10 men.

And he was not impressed when the Premier League rejected both Chelsea and Villa’s requests to give the clubs another 24 hours to recover before they met.

Smith said: “I think fatigue will affect both squads – probably ours a little bit more because we went down to 10 men.

“Chelsea played two hours after us against Arsenal, so they get less rest but both clubs asked for the game to be played a day later, rather than just have 48 hours rest, but that was knocked back.

“The lads are employed to play football games and when it comes they’ll be ready for it.”