Aston Villa’s recent revival came to a predictable halt at Old Trafford last week with a 3-1 defeat at the hands of the EPL league leaders and title favourites.

But Villa’s subsequent 2-2 home draw with Fulham was good news for right-back Kyle Walker.

The Tottenham loanee’s superb 25-yard strike against the Cottagers last Saturday was followed hours later by a call-up to the England squad, which augmented an already considerable Villa presence in the 22-man party.

 

And Villa completed their transfer window activity by loaning out one bald midfielder and taking another balding midfielder in on-loan.

Meanwhile, full-back Luke Young has taken specialist medical advice in an attempt to solve the on-going knee problem which has already kept out of the Villa line-up for two months.

Darren Bent’s second goal in his third Villa game wasn’t enough to stop United. But he was on the scoresheet for England in their 2-1 friendly international victory in Copenhagen against Denmark this Wednesday.

Another Villain, wideman Ashley Young, grabbed England’s winner midway through the second half.

And England finished the match with an all-Villa front three of Bent, Young and late substitute Stuart Downing, with the 20-year-old Walker remaining on the bench.

Villa loaned out unsettled midfielder Steven Ireland on transfer deadline day with the 24-year-old joining Newcastle until the end of the season.

Ireland has failed to settle into his best form at Villa Park since joining from big-spending Manchester City last summer.

Villa acted quickly to replace Ireland by picking up Borussia Moenchengladbach’s United States international midfielder Michael Bradley on-loan until the season’s end, when they have the option of making the move permanent.

The 23-year-old made his debut against Fulham after receiving international clearance and obtaining a visa.

31-year-old Young picked up a knee injury during Villa’s 3-0 defeat at Anfield on December 6^th. And manager Gerard Houllier hopes the trip to a London specialist will help solve, and explain, the problem.

Houllier said: “He trains and doesn’t feel anything and then at training the following day he feels something.”

Houllier was unable to say how long Young would be on the sidelines, adding: “Luke saw a specialist in London (on February 2^nd), so it will depend what the results are.”

Villa visit free-falling Blackpool in the EPL this Saturday. The Tangerines were recently fined £25,000 by the EPL for fielding a second-string line-up at Villa Park last November.