N´Zogbia suffers Achilles injury on holiday

Aston Villa’s Charles N’Zogbia risks missing the start of the new season after picking up an Achilles injury on holiday in Miami.

N’Zogbia was ensuring his fitness stayed high during his trip by completing a fitness programme, but the club revealed that during one of his workouts he had broken down, with no timescale given on his likely return to full fitness.

The Frenchman made 28 appearances for Paul Lambert’s side in all competitions last season but only 16 of them were starts as he struggled with injury and a dip in form as the club struggled at the foot of the table.

Lambert will have been hoping to have a full squad to work with for pre-season training, as he looks to build on their end-of-season rise that saw them finish 15th in the Premier League, but he may be without the attacking midfielder after he suffered the problem with his Achilles.

The 27-year-old underwent surgery in the United States, and alongside Roddy MacDonald, the club’s head of sport and exercise medicine, will return to England to continue his rehabilitation before the new campaign kicks off in August, with Lambert hopeful the player will not be sidelined for too long.

“The priority is to ensure that Charles receives the very best care and he has done and will continue to do so throughout his recovery period,” Lambert told the club’s official website.

“It’s a blow for Charles, obviously, but he’ll get his head down and get himself fit again and he’ll have plenty of support in doing so.”