BALLARD FIT FOR SUNDAY

Regis Le Bris has confirmed that Dan Ballard is available for selection against Aston Villa, but didn't reveal whether or not he'll come straight into the starting 11.

FITNESS UPDATE

“Ballard is fully fit, he has trained normally this week so he is available for selection. For Nilson, Berto (Traore) and Jocelin they are still sidelined but really close to reconnect with the squad, probably around the Forest game. Maybe a bit before it or after it, for full training sessions.”

BALLARD OR LUKE TO START?

“We don’t have to rush the process at the minute, which is good. He is available for selection but he understands the dynamic of the group. Even for Ballard, I think it’s key to build his fitness level rather than rush the process now."

'FIRST-CHOICE XI' DOESN'T EXIST

“It is dynamic. We spoke with the players around this important topic because it hasn’t happened often this year (a fully fit squad). Probably a bit at the beginning and then we had the AFCON, injuries and so on. The goal of the club is to grow and to grow you need depth in your squad. It means competition in different positions, so for example Trai has probably now the second-highest game time in the squad yet he was on the bench (vs Spurs). But he was ready to start or come on if it was necessary and he did well. It is about our future and we will have more depth, but this competition also allows us to push ourselves and be more competitive as a squad.”