Sadly, we won’t be seeing any Jonathan Kodjia to begin the year.
Luckily, however, owner Tony Xia splurged the cash on another talented, albeit, oft-injured forward, Scott Hogan. Hogan should lead the line in a 4-3-3 unless the striker Bruce brings in unseats the Englishman.
Flanking Hogan might be Albert Adomah on the right and Jack Grealish on the left.
Next: Possible destinations for Villa's 'loan army'
Grealish, in particular, is in a bit of a conundrum in Bruce’s favored system. He’s a bit in between a proper number ten and an all-out winger. Nonetheless, he is Aston Villa’s best option unless André Green really improves even further.
There we have it, a possible starting eleven without Jordan Amavi or Jonathan Kodjia: Johnstone; Bree, Chester (c), Baker, Taylor; Jedinak, Hourihane, Lansbury; Adomah, Hogan, Grealish.