Blues boss Mick McCarthy says David McGoldrick’s absence for a month will give someone else a chance to make their mark.
The Ireland international striker, who has scored eight times already this season, is facing around four weeks out having had surgery on the four-inch gash he suffered during Wednesday’s 2-2 draw with Sheffield Wednesday.
"He’s been playing well, Didz,” McCarthy reflected. "And as I said the other day, I hope we don’t miss him.
"Like I said about Jonas Knudsen as well, I hoped we wouldn’t miss him and we didn’t on Wednesday.
"So, whoever comes in, whether it’s one or more than one that comes in, I hope they play as well as the lads who have been playing.”
Freddie Sears replaced McGoldrick against the Owls and may well be in line for a start at Villa Park with McCarthy likely to shuffle his pack for the Blues’ third game in eight days and their third of five in a 15-day spell.
McCarthy says Sears, who has gone 18 games without a goal since netting his seventh of last season in the 3-1 victory over Newcastle in April, needs a goal, the former West Ham man having come close in the second half when sent away by Martyn Waghorn.
"He was at full tilt when he nicked the ball in front of the defender, which made him go wide,” the Blues manager recalled.
"He maybe could have picked Bersant out but he wants to score. I’m sure he needs a goal.
"But again, as I said about Joe Garner before the game on Wednesday, how much we appreciate what he does. It’s the same with Freddie. But I also said with Joe a goal would be nice, so I guess the same applies with Freddie.”
McCarthy says he knows what it’s like to have a spell where things aren't goingright from his own career.
"I’ve been there,” he said. "I had a bad run at Manchester City, with own goals and penalties, and Billy McNeill never left me out of the team, he stuck by me.
"It was good for me and I learnt from that as well when people were saying [I should be dropped]. I’d been there probably 18 months, I was the player of the year from Christmas and I had a really great start and I was one of his better players.
"And he left me in the team and didn’t annoy my head, wasn’t trying to give me advice all the time, just gave me that arm around my shoulder and that confidence that it was unlikely he was going to leave me out. It’s about managing players.”
Town’s regular front four - McGoldrick, Waghorn, Garner and Bersant Celina - have already netted 28 goals between them this season. Are they the best attacking quartet he’s had in club management?
"The front four, it’s working well,” he said. "I thought Michael Kightly, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, Chris Iwelumo and Matt Jarvis were a good front four [at Wolves], I have to be honest.
"I don’t know how many goals they got, you’ll have to look at my history and records. But this is a good front four at the moment.”
Meanwhile, McCarthy says he’s been pleased with on-loan Everton man Callum Connolly since he moved into the middle of the park from his more regular role as a right-back.
"I think he’s played well in midfield, hence why I played him again,” he said. "He gives us a solid base with Skusey for the others to play, which he did again.
"Wednesday probably was his best performance but that’s because he’s been in the team regularly.”
Central defender Adam Webster is also starting to get to the top of his game having suffered a series of ankle problems since January.
"His best game having come back was certainly Preston against Jordan Hugill,” McCarthy added. "I thought he handled him really well because he’s a handful.
"And he keeps progressing. We all knew what a good player he was when I signed him, he then proved that and then he’s had nasty ankle injuries since. He’s playing well at the moment.”