Aston Villa suffer double blow with strikers set for long absences

Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce has revealed in his press conference ahead of Saturday’s game with QPR that both Jonathan Kodjia and Scott Hogan will be sidelined for the foreseeable future.

Hogan has undergone stomach surgery in the past week and is sure to be out for much of the Christmas period while last season’s top scorer - with 19 league goals - Kodjia could be facing a far longer lay-off.

The former Bristol City forward missed the start of the season following a broken ankle sustained at the end of the previous campaign and was ruled out again ahead of the international break.

He was called up to the Ivory Coast squad regardless for their crucial match with Morocco but broke down in training and Bruce has admitted that he now fears the worst for his star striker.

Kodjia had helped to inspire a drastic upturn in results prior to his injury but didn’t look at his sharpest in truth, leading some to suggest that he had been rushed back into action to soon.

He will now see a specialist in France to diagnose the problem, with no timescale on a return set as yet but concerns that the 28-year-old will miss much of a hectic winter period in the Championship.

Youngster Keinan Davis extended his contract at Aston Villa earlier in the week and now has even more responsibility on his shoulders. Fellow academy graduate Rushian Hepburn-Murphy and Gabby Agbonlahor are still some way off full fitness and no other first team strikers are in the squad following Ross McCormack’s switch to the A-League on loan.