Jack Grealish injury news: Aston Villa captain suffers fresh setback, Dean Smith reveals

Villa take on Liverpool this weekend and will be without their captain once more

Jack Grealish has been out for several weeks with a shin injury (Getty Images)

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."