Aston Villa boss Steve Bruce has warned that he will not risk Jonathan Kodjia’s fitness in the final few games this season.
The 28-year-old striker made his long-awaited return from injury as a substitute on the hour-mark in Villa’s 0-0 draw with Hull City at the weekend.
Kodjia is returning from a second bout of surgery on his ankle and had been missing for Villa since the beginning of November with the issue which he sustained on international duty.
Bruce has however claimed that Kodjia will not be risked to start much in their run-in as they ensure his injury problems are behind him before the play-offs.
As quoted by the Birmingham Mail, he said: “We’re playing catch-up with him. So it’s a case of, can he give us a spark off the bench? It was a lot to ask at the weekend.
“He’s had a re-operation after the original one in the summer (on his ankle) so we’ll go easy with him that’s for sure. Before he’s at his best, he needs a pre-season and seven or eight games.
“Kodj wants to play, that’s just him, but he’s going to need some time.”
Kodjia was Villa’s top scorer in last campaign in what was his debut season for the club after an £11million move from Bristol City, scoring 19 goals in the Championship.
OPINION
It is a sensible move from Bruce to make his intentions with Kodjia known to the public. Villa fans will all be calling for Kodjia to be part of the starting XI in their upcoming matches, particularly considering their poor recent form, but his long-term fitness is the most important thing here. For Kodjia to be rushed back to start and get injured again would be criminal, and the Ivory Coast international must, as Bruce says, be given a pre-season of sorts to get back into the flow of things.