Defender hands Aston Villa a huge fitness boost

Championship club Aston Villa have been handed a boost after defender Ritchie De Laet confirmed that he will be fully fit for the start of next season.

The 28-year-old has been on the sidelines since suffering a serious knee injury during his clubs 1-1 draw with Brentford in September and has only made three appearances for the Villians after moving from Leicester City last summer.

De Leat was expected to have been a key player for Villa last season and his injury layoff would surely have caused a lot of frustration to himself as well as ardent supporters of the club.

The recovery of De Leat will be a major boost to Steve Bruce’s side as the Belgian international is very versatile being able to play anywhere in defense and also being capable of operating in central midfield.

Aston Villa are also expected to improve their squad this summer as they look to challenge for Premier League promotion next season.