Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce has admitted that he is concerned about forward Scott Hogan’s ability to stay fit
The forward recently made headline news when he declared his international allegiance for the Republic of Ireland but that is about the only positive thing to come out on him since he joined Aston Villa. Hogan is eligible for Ireland through two Irish grandparents but was born in Irlam, England.
Hogan was signed in January 2017 on a four-and-a-half contract as a potential long term solution for the Villans at forward but a series of injuries have hampered his progress.
His £9 million fee could rise to £15 million with performance bonuses but that looks unlikely as he has been unable to stay on the pitch.
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Hogan’s scoring record has also been disappointing with just two goals in 17 appearances so far for Aston Villa but he has been productive in front of goal in the past.
Just last season with Brentford he scored 14 goals in 26 appearances, 25 of which were in the Championship.
In the 2015-16 season he scored seven goals in seven appearances for The Bees so when he is fit he is capable of providing some offensive firepower.
Steve Bruce spoke on his concerns, as quoted by HITC.com:
"“It has been a disappointing time for Scott. Four or five times now he has had to come off. It is fair to say he has not really got started with one thing and another. Let’s hope his ankle is not so bad and he gets a run injury free. It is a concern going forward.”"
Right now the primary concern for Bruce and Aston Villa is that they are not exactly teeming with attacking options. With Ross McCormack in the doghouse and Hogan dealing with injury, Bruce was forced to use young midfielder Keinan Davis as a center-forward against Norwich City. The 19-year-old did well for himself, notching an assist before coming off in the 86th minute.
Next: Aston Villa youth players continue to impress in competition
There are still 10 days left in the transfer window and it appears Aston Villa may not be done in the market if two of their listed forwards are on the bench for different reasons. Owner Tony Xia may have to loosen up those purse strings once again if the Villans hope to return to the top flight.