Aston Villa midfielder Idrissa Gueye set to miss Birmingham clash
Aston Villa are set to be without midfielder Idrissa Gueye for the Capital One Cup clash with Birmingham after he flew back to France in a bid to cure his hamstring troubles.
Manager Tim Sherwood revealed the Senegal international is seeing a specialist after being sidelined for Villa's last two games.
"He's gone back to France to see a specialist he knows there who he's confident with, we're waiting to hear from him today and hopefully he'll give us some positive news," said Sherwood.
"We thought he was going to play on Saturday (a 1-0 defeat to West Brom) but he got injured again in training on Friday with a re-occurrence of the hamstring injury.
"It is disappointing because, out of all the players we have brought in, he is the most outstanding one who has taken to the Premier League like a duck to water."
Jores Okore (knee) and Adama Traore (ankle) are also expected to be sidelined while Rudy Gestede could start at Villa Park.
Villa have not played Sky Bet Championship side Birmingham since 2011 and are unbeaten in their last four home games against their rivals, and Sherwood has impressed on his squad how vital the game is.
He said: "I'm telling them it's not a normal game. It means an awful lot to the fans and an awful lot to us in the dressing room because we need to experience that winning feeling again. I'm not used to losing as many football games as I actually have.
"You need to keep focused and keep to your plan and make sure you impose yourself on a very organised Birmingham side. It's going to be blood and thunder and we expect that but we need 11 players on the pitch at the end of the game."
Birmingham skipper Michael Morrison has called for calm as they look to shock Villa.
"It will be an evening for cool heads, obviously people are going to be getting excited and want to put in challenges, work hard and show all the fans they care as well - which they all do," he told the Birmingham Mail.
"We are a real honest bunch, you just have to look every week how hard the lads work, not only from the back, from the front as well.
"We are going to put an honest shift in, we are going to work hard, we have got a game-plan, we have got confidence and we have got good players as well.
"There is no reason why we can't go there and cause problems."
Defender Neal Eardley is likely to be out for six weeks with a dislocated shoulder but boss Gary Rowett is not expected to make wholesale changes from the side that drew 1-1 at Ipswich on Friday.
Clayton Donaldson is set to lead the line with Demarai Gray in support and Rowett admitted he will pick his strongest side.
He told a press conference: "I can guarantee every single player wants to play, we certainly won't be rotating players or keeping anyone fresh so will put out our strongest team we have available that I think can win the game."
Source: PAR
