Steve Bruce riled by Aston Villa fixture list
Steve Bruce believes Villa are being placed at a “huge disadvantage” by being asked to play twice in 48 hours over the Easter weekend.
Villa host Reading in the only Championship fixture scheduled for this Saturday, before travelling to face Fulham on Easter Monday.
It means the Cottagers, who along with the rest of the Championship play their first Easter fixture on Friday when they visit Norwich, will be afforded an extra 24 hours rest and Bruce is mystified as to why his team and Reading are playing later than everyone else. “I cannot understand why we are being asked to play on the Saturday, while everyone else plays on the Friday,” he said. “It’s certainly a huge advantage to play Friday-Monday than Saturday-Monday.”
Villa are hopeful top scorer Jonathan Kodjia will be available for both games after being forced off early in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Burton with a dead leg.
The 27-year-old had earlier netted his 19th goal of the season to put Villa ahead and needs only one more to become the club’s first player to net 20 in a league campaign since Peter Withe in 1981.
Kodjia, who has eight goals in his last eight games, tweeted yesterday to claim he would be back “in no time”. He said: “Feeling sore this morning but the physio will get me back in no time.
“We go again next week.”
