Source: Telegraph
Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill sweats on Gabby Agbonlahor injury
The striker was forced to retire early against Everton at the weekend with a possible hamstring strain.
Agbonlahor underwent a scan yesterday, the results of which will be known today, but he has been classed as doubtful for the weekend.
It would be a bitter blow for Villa, who have not won a match in the league since the beginning of February.
In addition to a set-back to Wilfred Bouma's return from an ankle injury, the fifth-placed club have recently learned that their captain Martin Laursen will not play for the rest of the season.
"Martin is struggling,' O'Neill confirmed. 'There's not much more to say. He'll be struggling to play again before the end of the season.
"Gabby came off the pitch on Sunday with a hamstring niggle. It seems to be getting better. But we are awaiting the results of a scan which
should be through some time later this afternoon.
"At the back of the doctor's mind is a concern that he may have strained it. That would make him doubtful for this weekend's game. He certainly seems to be responding - no doubt about that - but he still remains a doubt for the West Ham match.'
On a brighter note, however, Emile Heskey could return in Agbonlahor's absence.
"Emile has trained for the last couple of days and that is encouraging for us,' O'Neill said. 'It would be good if he could make it for the weekend.
"We will see how he is later in the week because we have a few days yet. But at least he has been out training and he is certainly making
progress."
Meanwhile, Zat Knight, the central defender covering for Laursen, has said that finishing fifth, although an improvement on last year's finish, would still rankle considering that the club spent much of the season in the top four.
'I've got mixed feelings really,' Knight said. 'We had the chance to finish top four, and we let it slip. It was in our hands and we let it go. We were six points ahead of Arsenal and we gave them up.'
