Birmingham Live journalist Ashley Preece has admitted he has great sympathy for Aston Villa midfielder Morgan Sanson after he suffered another injury setback in the Carabao Cup against Chelsea last week.

What happened to Sanson?

Since arriving at Villa in January, Sanson has struggled to get a consistent run of games in the side due to fitness issues.

The 27-year-old missed the final nine matches of last season with a knee injury, and he sat out the opening three Premier League fixtures of the current campaign as he worked his way back towards his best condition.

After making the bench for Villa's league clash with Chelsea earlier in September, he was finally handed his first start in almost six months against the same opponents in the cup.

He made a relatively positive impression as he completed one key pass on his way to a WhoScored match rating of 6.98. However, his comeback was cut short when he was forced off just before the break with a hamstring problem.

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What did Preece say about Sanson?

Preece could not hide his disappointment that Sanson, who earns £48,000-a-week, is now set for another spell on the sidelines, conceding that the former Marseille man has still not been able to show what he can do in a Villa shirt yet.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “Sanson, gutted for him, he’s out for another month now with a hamstring injury. So, he’s waiting for lift-off at Villa Park, Sanson, so gutted for him.”

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Can Sanson still make the grade at Villa?

Villa spent £14m on Sanson at the start of the year, indicating that they are confident in his ability, and it should not be forgotten that he signed a long-term contract which still has almost four years left to run on it. Therefore, Sanson clearly has time on his side to improve his fitness levels and get back to his best.

Still, there's no sugar-coating it - much of his first year at Villa has been little short of a disaster. He has been limited to just 10 appearances for the senior side, and has failed to register a single goal or assist in these games.

Meanwhile, the likes of John McGinn and Douglas Luiz have gone from strength to strength in the middle of the park, and youngster Jacob Ramsey has made rapid progress in his absence. There is a danger that he could be left behind, some way down the pecking order.

Sanson needs to hit the ground running when he recovers from his latest injury, otherwise his Villa career could be in serious jeopardy before it's even properly started.