Jack Grealish has been ruled out for a further two weeks in another blow to Aston Villa. The captain has been nursing a shin injury and returned to training last week, but manager Dean Smith has revealed a fresh setback ahead of Saturday’s meeting with Liverpool.

““No, he’s not (fit),” Smith said. “Myself and Jack were quite optimistic to get him back a bit sooner than he probably should, and he’s had a setback that will probably put him back a couple of weeks.”

Smith added: “He was really good in training, but he couldn’t tolerate the loading. It’s a loading injury and we have to de-load him over the next few weeks and get him back from there. We know it’s not a long-term injury and he will be back.

“We all, Jack included, probably pushed him back a little bit too quickly. He wanted to get back, we wanted him to get back and he had a little setback.”

Grealish’s injury, which has kept him out since February, will be a concern not only for Villa as they seek a possible European spot but it will be a blow for England manager Gareth Southgate who handed the 25-year-old his full England debut last year.

On striker Wesley, who has missed much of the season, Smith added: “Wesley came off in an Under-23s game but it was nothing to worry about and he's trained ever since. He needs a few more games before he can be added to the squad."

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