Aston Villa correspondent Ashley Preece has relayed injury news regarding Danny Ings following the 1-0 defeat to Arsenal on Saturday.

The Lowdown: Ings on the bench

The striker had been starting to solidify his place in Steven Gerrard’s side prior to yesterday's defeat to the Gunners, starting in wins over Brighton, Southampton and Leeds in a new-look 4-3-1-2 system.

The 29-year-old contributed to four goals in those three wins but was named on the bench as Gerrard reverted back to a 4-3-3 against Mikel Arteta’s side. The striker only played for eight minutes at Villa Park and had just six touches of the ball after replacing Ollie Watkins late on. [SofaScore]

The Latest: Preece’s injury update on Ings

Preece took to Twitter on Saturday afternoon, sharing comments from Gerrard after the defeat.

The Villa manager stated that Ings was on the bench due to a slight niggle, a worrying update ahead of the international break.

The Verdict: Fingers crossed

You’d like to think that Ings’ injury isn’t too serious after making a brief cameo display in the final stages against Arsenal, but this update isn’t ideal.

Villa appeared to have found their feet under Gerrard in a 4-3-1-2 system, but the 29-year-old’s injury ultimately means that the manager had to go back to an attacking 4-3-3 formation.

They have now suffered five straight defeats when going with that system, so hopefully Ings will be able to return to the starting XI against Wolves following the international break, as his availability has been key to the successful shift to a 4-3-1-2 in recent weeks.

In other news: 'Brilliant...' - Ashley Preece buzzing as Aston Villa now announce another 'long-term deal'