Villa hardly have an embarrassment of riches in the middle of the park, hardly improved by the unavailability of the club’s best two outfield players this season, Gavin McCann and Lee Hendrie. McCann has been struggling with a knee injury for a few weeks now and was forced from to come off in the 1-1 draw against Liverpool on Saturday, while Hendrie is in the midst of a three-game ban.
There absence leaves O’Leary with only two in-form midfielders in Nolberto Solano and the admittedly inexperienced Steven Davis. Gareth Barry was lagging on Saturday in his first match back after injury, while Peter Whittingham has struggled to regain the form of last year.
Der Hammer is also suffering ‘second season blues’, and at times this campaign he has played like he was being forced to wear an invisible pair of the baggy slacks once championed by his namesake, MC. But after making good progress on his recovery from a thigh injury, also picked up against City and his experience and ability to step up to the plate is valued by O’Leary, who may otherwise be forced to call upon the dogged Mathieu Berson.