Aston Villa forgotten man might be about to get a final lifeline

Four defeats and three wins from Aston Villa's last seven matches underpins what's been a really inconsistent season. Drab, scoreless defeats to Newcastle and Watford were followed up by a 9-0 combined aggregate scoreline over Brighton, Southampton and Leeds.

Back-to-back losses to West Ham and Arsenal have knocked Steven Gerrard's men back down a peg and, with nine fixtures remaining, there's not too much to play for. However, changes could well be forthcoming against Wolves after the international break.

One change Gerrard must be toying with is bringing Morgan Sanson back into the fold. The Frenchman's last start came in the 2-2 draw with Man United back in January while, in Villa's last two fixtures, he failed to make it off the bench.

Sanson, who cost £14million, is growing increasingly frustrated over his lack of game time but those close to him have informed that he's fiercely driven to finally prove his worth after such a stop-start time in Birmingham. The 27-year-old is a player with real pedigree and should be given a fair crack in the remaining games.

A player who could really benefit from a game or two off would be Jacob Ramsey, arguably Villa's standout player of the season. The 20-year-old has started Villa's last 16 games and, while form has been decent, he's clearly lacking that little bit of energy, drive and quality he's possessed for the majority of the season.

Gerrard likes some of his players to "reset" and it worked a treat when Ollie Watkins was taken out of the firing line amid a poor run of form. The England striker then returned to the XI with back-to-back goals in the wins over Brighton and Southampton.

Ramsey could look to do the same with Sanson surely a contender to come into the XI