Aston Villa will hope to close the gap on Cardiff City and leaders Wolves with a win at bottom of the table Sunderland tonight.

Steve Bruce’s men have won eight of their last ten games, including a late 4-2 victory at Sheffield Wednesday last time out.

That will have boosted the player’s confidence and Steve Bruce has had further good news since with influential duo Jack Grealish and Albert Adomah both available for the trip to the Stadium of Light.

However, it does present him with a selection dilemma and it means he should consider dropping Scott Hogan.

Whilst Adomah will easily slot in for Josh Onomah on the left flank, Grealish’s return should mean Bruce reverts back to a 4-2-3-1 formation instead of the 4-4-2 used at Hillsborough.

Therefore, either Hogan or Lewis Grabban have to miss out and with the latter having scored two in two compared to Hogan’s four-games without a goal, it’s a pretty easy decision.

It may seem harsh on the £6.3m-rated striker who has really stepped up in 2018 to become an important player for Villa but the reality is that Grealish has to play.

The 22-year old gives the side a different dimension going forward, with his ability to beat opponents and more importantly to pick a pass. Those qualities could be vital against a Sunderland side that are sure to sit deep.

Villa won seven games on the bounce from late December using Grealish in that role and he has to build the side around the best player at the club.

Thoughts, Villa fans? Let us know in the comments below.