Dean Smith: Tyrone Mings and Aston Villa's defence relishing the challenge posed by West Brom's deadly strikeforce

That’s the view of Villa boss Dean Smith, who has lauded the centre-back’s impact since arriving on loan from Bournemouth in January.

Mings has helped transform Villa’s defence from one the division's weakest to among the strongest and played a major role in their late season charge into the play-offs.

Now he is preparing to face Albion duo Dwight Gayle and Jay Rodriguez, who plundered 45 goals between them this season, in tomorrow’s semi-final first leg.

Smith said: “It will certainly be a great challenge for whoever I put out there at centre-half. Tyrone, who was rested last weekend against Norwich, will be relishing it.”

The boss cites defensive troubles over the first two-thirds of the season as the man reason for Villa falling short of the automatic promotion places.

Villa conceded 46 goals in their opening 29 games but let in just 15 over their final 17 matches after signing Mings, with Kortney Hause, who joined from Wolves, also having a positive impact.

Axel Tuanzebe, who returned from a three-month injury lay-off at the end of March, is likely to partner Mings against the Baggies.

“Tyrone has been brilliant,” added Smith. “To be fair to him he has had a few partners as well.

“He has had Axel (Tuanzebe) coming back from injury and Kortney Hause playing alongside him. He started with Tommy Elphick and has played with Mile Jedinak as well.

"That is probably one of the biggest reasons we are not in the top two - defensively we have had to chop and change an awful lot with injuries. We have brought in some loans in the January window to strengthen and I think they have done that.”

Mings’s impact has been doubly impressive for the fact his career in recent years had been wracked by injuries.

The 26-year-old has already played more minutes in three months for Villa than in three-and-a-half years for Bournemouth, having joined the Cherries in a £10million switch from Ipswich.

“We have not had to manage him differently,” said Smith. “He probably enjoyed his second day of recovery a little bit more at Bournemouth than he does here.

“He gets less of recovery on his second day. Matchday-plus-two, they go out and do a little bit.

“But he has had no problems. The only time he has come off in a game is when he got sent-off at Rotherham.

“If you remember I think a few people thought I would be playing him left-back. In my head he was always playing centre-back. That is where I see him and more importantly where he sees himself as well.”