Bruce-Plea's for Kodjia and Ayew to Play against Cardiff!

Aston Villa boss Steve Bruce's AFCON plea over Jonathan Kodjia and Jordan Ayew
The pair are set to depart on January 2 to link up with their nations ahead of the African Cup of Nations

BYALEX DICKEN
22:30, 28 DEC 2016UPDATED16:42, 28 DEC 2016


Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce has confirmed the club are in contact with both Ivory Coast and Ghana in a bid to play Jonathan Kodjia and Jordan Ayew at Cardiff City.

Both Kodjia and Ayew were called up by their respective countries to take part in the African Cup of Nations over the last two days, however, Albert Adomah was not included in Avram Grant's Ghana sqaud.


Kodjia is due to link up with Ivory Coast on January 2 in Abu Dhabi, where they will be preparing before flying out to Gabon ahead of the tournament getting underway on January 16.

Villa will play Cardiff on the day the players are due to leave and Bruce, as you would expect, is keen for them to be available for the clash with the Bluebirds.

Bruce said of the pair: "They leave us on the second. We are trying to see if they can play against Cardiff. We have gone to their associations and are waiting for them to come back to us.

"Of course they are big players but we knew that when we signed them. The African Nations lasts a month. We have four or five games but there are plenty of others who, hopefully, can rise to the challenge. It’s a big opportunity."

One of the players Bruce will be wanting to see step up to the plate is Ross McCormack. The Scottish striker has struggled to adapt to life at Villa Park and has been disrupted by niggling injuries along the way.

McCormack scored his first goal in more than three months against Burton Albion on Boxing Day and will be looking to impress his manager again as his former club Leeds United visit B6.

Top scorer Kodjia and strike partner Ayew have been called up by Ivory Coast and Ghana respectively for next month’s tournament and Villa have made representations to both national associations, requesting their departures are delayed until after the Bluebirds clash.

If unsuccessful, it would mean Thursday night’s home game with Leeds being potentially the last time either Kodjia or Ayew feature for Villa until February, depending on how well their national team’s perform in Gabon.

Boss Steve Bruce explained: “They leave us on January 2 (Monday). We are trying to see if they can play against Cardiff.

“We have gone to their associations and are waiting for them to come back to us. It has been difficult, as you might imagine.”

Kodjia has scored seven goals in 12 games since Bruce replaced Roberto Di Matteo but could now miss up to seven games should Ivory Coast reach the final of the cup, which takes place on February 5.

Bruce has made no secret of the need for some of the club’s other strikers to step up during his absence.

He said: “Of course they (Kodjia and Ayew) are big players but we knew that when we signed them. The Africa Cup of Nations lasts a month.

“We have four or five games but there are plenty of others who, hopefully, can rise to the challenge. It’s a big opportunity.”

Villa were backed by a near sell-out crowd when beating Burton 2-1 on Boxing Day and another big attendance is expected for the visit of Leeds, as Bruce’s team hunt a sixth successive home win.

Reports in the north-east on Wednesday night meanwhile claimed Middlesbrough are closing in on a £6.5million deal for out-of-favour Villa striker Rudy Gestede.