After falling to a 3-1 home defeat against Chelsea on Boxing Day, Aston Villa's next Premier League outing sees them take on Brentford at the weekend after their midweek clash against Leeds United was postponed due to a virus outbreak within the Yorkshire club.
Looking ahead to the match against Thomas Frank's side, against whom Villa could only secure a 1-1 draw in their previous league meeting back in August, it seems as though Steven Gerrard's side could welcome back a player who was not involved in the weekend's defeat to the Blues.
What's the latest?
According to a recent report from The Athletic by Gregg Evans, Villa midfielder John McGinn missed the Chelsea game through illness "but is expected to be back" for the match against Brentford next weekend.
Given how McGinn has started in each of his 16 Premier League appearances this season, with three goals and two assists in the process, it shows just how important he is to the side.
Also, the 27-year-old's overall performances have proved what a crucial figure he is for Villa, with WhoScored listing him as their highest-rated player with a season rating of 7.18 based on his league performances throughout the campaign.
A welcome return
With all this in mind, it would surely be a big boost for Villa to have McGinn, who Evans said "can help make a difference," back in the side for the match against Brentford, which would duly delight the supporters as well.
Gerrard has also previously shared his admiration for the Scotland international by saying that he feels like he is "the lucky one that's able to work with him and try to improve his game."
Moving forward, with the Brentford match on the horizon, this would be a great opportunity for Villa to put their defeat against Chelsea behind them and secure another win to help push them further up the table.
If McGinn is ready to play again, he would surely give his side a better chance of securing all three points, as they haven't won either of the two league games that he's missed so far this season - one of which was against the Bees four months ago.
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