Delaney flies out to US

Last updated : 26 February 2007 By Pancho Villa

It is now over a year since the 30-year-old Welshman made his last appearance for Villa in a 1-1 draw against Manchester City in the FA Cup. He made a brief comeback for Wales a few months ago but it was a brief return as the knock flared up and has spent the last six weeks with his leg in a brace, though he hopes he will soon be free of it. "I hope after Tuesday I'll be able to put weight on my leg and adjust the brace so I can start bending my leg," he told the club's official site. "After not even being able to bend my leg for six weeks, even putting weight on my leg is a big step."

Martin O'Neill last week pledged to wait for Delaney to recover from his injury before deciding on the future of the player, who is out of contract this summer.