Steven Gerrard reveals triple Aston Villa blow as Dean Smith breaks silence

Hello and welcome to a round-up of all the latest Aston Villa news from BirminghamLive on Saturday, April 23 2022.

Villa return to action after two weeks off with a trip to Leicester City in the Premier League up next. Steven Gerrard's Lions are looking to bring an end to a losing run that has seen them go four matches without picking up a single point.

Here's the latest from Villa Park...

Villa have been dealt with a new triple blow ahead of Saturday's return to Premier League action against City. Villa are bidding to end a four-match run of defeats and allay any fears of being dragged into a relegation battle.

But Gerrard will be without Bertrand Traore, who has picked up a groin injury in training this week with the Burkina Faso international set for an MRI scan. Traore has had an injury-hit season with only 21 minutes of Premier League action registered since the start of 2022.

Read the full piece HERE.

Dean Smith admits he was surprised when Villa sacked him following a run of five Premier League defeats back in November, but claims he takes great pride when reflecting on his tenure at Villa Park. The now-Norwich City boss faces an almighty task to stave off relegation this season, with just six games left to play this campaign.

But he and assistant boss Craig Shakespeare, who previously managed at Leicester City, know a thing or two about great escapes. With four games left to play in the 2019-10 campaign, Villa made up a seven point gap between themselves and Watford, which is a total no club had ever overcome to survive in the Premier League with so few games remaining.

More HERE.

Former Liverpool striker Michael Owen reckons Villa will end their losing run with a 2-1 win at Leicester on Saturday. Villa