Charles N'Zogbia could make Easter return for Aston Villa

Charles N'Zogbia has made a quicker than expected recovery from the knee injury he picked up in training last month and could give Aston Villa a much needed boost by returning in time for their Bank Holiday fixtures against Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday and Stoke City at home on Monday. The Frenchman has been sidelined since a collision with Gary Gardner before the trip to Arsenal on 24 March and there were fears that the £9.5m summer signing from Wigan Athletic might be out for six weeks. N'Zogbia, however, has made swift progress and Alex McLeish, Villa's manager, hopes the winger, who has shown only glimpses of his talent this season, could make a timely return to action this weekend to try to help a severely depleted Villa side ease their relegation fears. McLeish was told before Saturday's defeat against Chelsea that N'Zogbia was seven to 10 days away from being fit, leaving open the possibility that he could play a part at Anfield. "I was hoping that maybe we could rush him back for [this] week," McLeish said. "If we can, that'll be a bonus. They thought three to six weeks at first but he's healed quickly and [since last week] he's been running in straight lines [in training], just a little bit of pain when he's gone from side to side. [But] they think that'll go quickly."