Aston Villa will return to Championship action with a match against fierce rivals Birmingham City in the Second City Derby.
The two sides will meet on Sunday-week once the international break is over and will be looking to edge out their opponents as they look to take bragging rights over the area.
It will be Dean Smith’s first Derby in charge of the Villans and his side have managed to begin to put some form together recently with two consecutive victories.
Birmingham have been in fine form themselves, although they have recently seen results slump and sit in 12th in the Championship, just one spot below the Villa Park outfit.
However, it appears that Smith may have been handed a huge blow ahead of the game with their arch-rivals.
According to the Birmingham Mail, both John McGinn and Neil Taylor are doubts for the home fixture.
McGinn is thought to be struggling with a calf problem, whilst Taylor continues to suffer with the problem that saw him withdrawn in their match against Derby County just before the international break.
The Verdict:
Both players have been key for Aston Villa this season and the news will have come as a huge blow to Smith and the fans.
McGinn has been extremely impressive with his performances for the Villans since joining from Hibernian and has been a real attacking threat for the club going forward.
Taylor has been prominent in the first-team as well this season, having been used at left-back and his displays for his club had led to him being recalled into the Wales international set-up.
Fans will be hopeful that as there is still over a week to go before the game, both will be able to recover from their knocks in time to be fit and available for their Second City Derby.
Aston Villa fans – thoughts?
