Phillips doubt for Villa
Kevin Phillips has added to Aston Villa’s striking worries by being laid low with a virus ahead of the Barclays Premiership clash at Everton on Saturday.
Phillips has been sent home from Villa’s Bodymoor Heath training complex and is “extremely doubtful” for the trip to Goodison Park.
Villa boss David O’Leary is already without Milan Baros, while Juan Pablo Angel has a similar ankle problem, although the Colombian has more chance of being fit to face David Moyes’ side.
It means that O’Leary could only have Luke Moore fit of his forward quartet as he looks for Villa to bounce back from Tuesday’s FA Cup exit at Manchester City.
“Kevin Phillips has gone down with a virus which makes him extremely doubtful for Saturday. We will have to see how he is on Friday,” O’Leary said.
Meanwhile, midfielder James Milner has been advised to rest for a week after undergoing tests on the virus which kept him out of last week’s Premiership game at Blackburn plus the defeat at Eastlands.
O’Leary is determined that Villa end the season on a high note and wants them to collect as many points as possible from the final nine games.
“I am disappointed with the way the season has gone. We wanted to do more. There are certain reasons for it,” he said.
“We have underperformed. We are disappointed without a doubt. I was hoping we would finish in the top half like the last two years.
“But there are 27 points available and I want us to crash through the 40-point barrier as quickly as possible.”
