Kortney Hause posts cryptic message after missing Aston Villa squads

Kortney Hause has managed just one minute of action since signing his new three-and-a-half-year contract back in January. The out-of-favour centre-back has missed out on Aston Villa's last two 20-man Premier League squads as well against Leeds and West Ham, with the latter a side that looked at signing him in the winter transfer window.

Just a week after Hause committed his long-term future to the club, Villa went out and signed fellow centre-back Calum Chambers from Arsenal. Chambers, 27, has started and completed five of Villa's last six matches. Hause has just four Premier League starts to his name all season, the last of which came at Brentford on January 2.

Head coach Gerrard has spoken well of Hause, a player he sees as a direct rival to fellow left-sided centre-back Tyrone Mings. Chambers, as we know, was signed to push Ezri Konsa and to come in as a versatile addition to play at full-back and, at a push, as a holding midfielder.

A penny for Hause's thoughts then knowing he cannot get near a match day squad of late following Konsa's return from illness. Late last night, Hause posted a cryptic yet telling Instagram post. It was a photo of him looking to the heavens after his bullet header at Old Trafford, with the words: "It ain't gotta make sense, just trust him [praying hands]. Soon. On! Top."

Hause's last appearance for Villa came as a time-wasting substitute up at Goodison Park on January 22. He was an unused sub for Villa's next five fixtures and hasn't been required in the last two against Leeds and West Ham.

Gerrard, however, wants a big squad next season to battle on three fronts in the Premier League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup and appears set on his four centre-backs of Mings, Chambers, Konsa and Hause. A