Aston Villa look to be back in form this season and they will surely fancy themselves as potential promotion candidates should things all go to plan this year.

Indeed, their sluggish start looks to be a thing of the past and many fans will now be hoping that they can get right up to the top of the league before too long.

Whilst we wait to see if they do, though, the international break is here and some Villa players have been called up to represent their countries for crucial World Cup Qualifying games.

Certainly, Scott Hogan is one of those with the Republic of Ireland calling him up and they have released this picture of him in action in training on their Twitter feed:

Villa fans, then, will be pleased to see that he looks sharp and well in the thick of things for his country as the Irish plan to get some crucial points on the board at this stage.

Many Villa fans, though, will also be looking for their striker to return without any injuries or knocks as they aim to get themselves back into the Premier League at the end of the season.

The Verdict

Villa have been going along very nicely in recent weeks and they'll surely be looking for that to continue once Championship engagements resume.

For sure, then, they'll also be hoping that Hogan returns unscathed as he is an important part of their squad as they chase top spot.

Thoughts, Villa fans? Let us know below!