Delfouneso not for sale - Grant

Aston Villa insist they want Nathan Delfouneso to remain at the club after weekend speculation linking the England Under-21 striker with a move to Sunderland.

Former Villa boss Martin O'Neill was reported to be lining up a £3million bid for Delfouneso in January.

But Villa insist they have received no enquiries for academy product Delfouneso, who could start against Liverpool on Sunday with Gabriel Agbonlahor suspended, and Villa assistant manager Peter Grant told the Birmingham Mail: "There have been no enquiries for Nathan and we are are not looking for enquiries in any shape or form."

He added: "We're very thin on the ground with the squad as it is. Look at last weekend (against Bolton). We were really down to the bare bones.

"We're looking now just to maintain the squad and it's up to lads like Nathan to make sure they're part of the squad and the team.

"It can be a great opportunity for them when someone like Gabby misses out. Sometimes a suspension is something that kickstarts someone else's season."

Meanwhile, Villa midfielder Fabian Delph has returned to training after a knee problem.

The 22-year-old suffered the setback in training last week and missed the trip to the Reebok Stadium.

Source: PA

Source: PA