Monday Mar 20 2006 12:38
Aston Villa boss David O'Leary is concerned that Aaron Hughes may not recover from a mystery virus in time to face Fulham on Saturday.
The former Newcastle United star had to be substituted in the first half of Saturday's 4-1 drubbing at Everton and joins James Milner and Kevin Phillips on the sick-list.
"Aaron thought he could get through the game but he didn't feel great in the warm-up. He gave it a go but he felt as if he was going to pass out - he was totally washed out and he had lost his colour," O'Leary told the club's official website.
"Kevin (Phillips) trained for about half-an-hour on Friday but he was just washed out so we had to send him home.
"I really don't know where the reports of James Milner being out for the season have come from, because I can only go by what I'm told by the medical people.
"He's not having any medication or treatment, we just want to keep him away from the club because the virus knocked him sideways.
"With the squad we've got, he's had to play week in, week out and it's really cleaned him out. He's the worst affected and he was sent home for nine days.
"He'll come back in on Thursday and we'll see if the virus is out of his body. Then we'll have an idea of whether he can play on Saturday."
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