Aston Villa midfielder Tom Carroll has been ruled out for the rest of the season through injury and has returned to his parent club Swansea City after undergoing hip surgery.

The 26-year-old has been struggling with a hip problem all season and only made two substitute appearances for Villa since joining on loan in January.

He made 13 appearances for Swansea during the first half of the campaign, but was then sidelined until the new year, last featuring in the win over Blackburn Rovers in October.

The midfielder was one of three signings to join Villa on deadline day, along with defender Tyrone Mings from Bournemouth and full-back Frederic Guilbert from Ligue 1 side Caen.

Aston Villa are currently sixth in the Championship table after a brilliant run of five consecutive victories and are in with a strong chance of making the play-offs.

Meanwhile, Swansea are 14th in the league table, ten points outside the top six but comfortably clear of the relegation zone.

The Verdict:

Things never really worked out as intended for Carroll at Villa Park and it is always a shame to see a player ruled out for the rest of the season through injury.

The midfielder must now focus on getting fit for pre-season ahead of the 2019-20 campaign and try to come back stronger.