Jack Grealish has hailed team-mate John McGinn, insisting that he will be “massive” in the club’s quest to avoid relegation.

McGinn sustained a broken ankle in December and has subsequently missed a total of 10 Premier League games, per Transfermarkt.

Villa won just three of those encounters – beating Norwich City, Burnley, and Watford – and are currently 19th, two points away from safety.

With Project Restart taking place on June 17, with Villa set to play Sheffield United, one positive of the COVID-19 pandemic from the club’s perspective has been to free up McGinn to get back to full fitness.

He has scored three goals and registered two assists this season, while he was also voted the club’s Player of the Season last term.

And Grealish has told Sky Sports that the return of the Scotland international will be a huge boost to the club’s chances of remaining in the Premier League.

He said: "He's going to be massive. I think he was probably one of the top players in the league before he got injured; I even spoke to some players at other clubs, who couldn't believe how good he was.

"He's one of those players who you don't appreciate how good he is until you play with him, everyone in our changing room would say that. I think it will be massive, his legs in midfield I feel like we've lost since he's been injured, and obviously he has a certain type of way about himself. He has class as well.

"In the actually changing room he's a big influence, a very popular figure, so it'll be massive to have him back."

GIVEMESPORT’S Harry Sherlock says…

McGinn is a top player.

He was linked with Manchester United last year and is perhaps one of the best players in the bottom half of the table.

Not only can he score and create, he has a remarkable engine and is a classic box-to-box midfielder.

If Villa are to remain in the top-flight, they need to win the majority of the final 10 games of the campaign – they face the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, and Arsenal in their run-in – and they need all of their top players to be fit and firing.

Having McGinn back will be absolutely huge to Villa’s chances of retaining their status; Grealish is spot on.