Chester on the road to recovery ahead of run-in Smith is working on defence in Kort case
ASTON VILLA captain James Chester hopes to be ‘back in contention soon’ after providing a progress report on the knee injury which has kept him out of the team.
Chester’s condition has prevented him from training properly since the end of last year and he has been out of action since the end of last month.
“It’s never nice to have to sit on the sidelines and watch while you’re out injured,’’ said the Wales international.
“Hopefully I’ll be back in contention soon. It can’t come soon enough – believe me!”
That will be music to the ears of Villa fans who know an in-form and fully-fit Chester is a big boost for the defence.
Villa are wrapping him up in cotton wool to ensure he’s got a chance of making the run-in.
He hasn’t trained properly since November and was playing through the pain barrier until Villa signed Tyrone Mings on loan from Bournemouth.
“We have to let his knee settle down,” said Villa boss Dean Smith. “It has been swelling regularly so he has been having injections to sort that.
“Whenever you have a swollen knee it tells you there is something angry going on in there.
“Having the injection and having the rest will hopefully help him get back for the last eight to ten games.”
Meanwhile, Stoke City legend Lou Macari believes it is a shock to see the Potters and Villa struggling in the middle of the Championship – and claims the clubs are going backwards.
The Midland rivals meet at the bet365 Stadium on Saturday, with Villa in tenth place and Stoke occupying 17th, four points behind.
Macari said: “Pals tell me that after Stoke drew 2-2 at Aston Villa in midDecember they came away thinking both teams would be in or around the top six when they met again on February 23. But both clubs have gone back- wards in the meantime and so Saturday’s game is looking more like a mid-table fixture.
“Villa fans would point to the recent absence of Jack Grealish as a reason for their decline, but you can’t pin it on one injured player, particularly a 23-year-old still learning his trade and unproven at the top level.
“One thing that’s certain is that two clubs the size of Stoke and Villa, with the resources and support they have, shouldn’t be fighting over mid-table scraps.
“It’s already proving a long way back to the Premier League for Villa and I know there’s Stoke fans beginning to think the same about their club.”