VILLANS’ CAREERS IN PERIL

A Villa v C Palace

DEAN SMITH has warned Aston Villa’s stars that their Premier League careers are on the line – not just the Villans’ own top-flight status.

Boss Smith (above) has painted a bleak picture if they fail to stay in the elite, suggesting that the fall-out from relegation will have a lasting impact on his squad.

Smith says evidence shows some players have hit their peak years now – and once they disappear from the top division they might never return.

Villa – who today face a Crystal Palace side that’s on a four defeat streak – are in desperate need of their own first victory since a last-gasp triumph over Watford in late January.

And Smith says his players understand the price of failure.

He said: “It’s not melodramatic to say the players are playing for their Premier League futures – not at all.

“They know there will be some who drop from this league into the Championship and never get to play in the Premier League again.

“They are more than aware of that. And they know the consequences of it – professionally, emotionally and financially – will hit hard.”

One Villa player who has struggled to regain his form since football returned is Scotland star John McGinn.

The midfielder was taken off on the hour against Manchester United on Thursday and looked to be struggling with the pace.

However, it has emerged that prior to lockdown he had been hit with a secondary injury, after the fractured ankle he suffered before Christmas at Villa Park against Southampton.

Smith explained: “We were due to play Chelsea – John was fit and would have been on the bench. But then he started to feel a pain in his shin.

“We sent him for a scan and found another stress fracture, which delayed his return by six weeks. He didn’t train at all in lockdown but once we came back to smallgroup training, he joined.

“He’s playing catch-up. I didn’t think he had his best hour against United, but he did very well at Liverpool, and I could see the old John McGinn.”

Smith has also killed rumours that his assistant John Terry is in line to be Bristol City boss. Smith said: “I can categorically say he is not in for that job.”