Wesley fitness will have bearing on Aston Villa’s transfer plans

The Brazilian striker is in the final stages of recovery from a serious knee injury sustained on New Year’s Day and is currently on course to return at some stage next month.

If that remains the case, it will lessen the need for Villa to target attacking reinforcements.

The club spent fees which could eventually total more than £80million during the summer window, including a £28m club record deal which saw Ollie Watkins join from Brentford.

But attempts to add another forward prior to the deadline were hindered by an inability to move fringe players like Henri Lansbury and Frederic Guilbert off the books.

Finding suitors for those deemed surplus to requirements will again be a focus next month, while the club’s approach to incomings will remain flexible.

The long-term injuries sustained by both Wesley and goalkeeper Tom Heaton in same match at Burnley transformed plans for the last January window on their head and there is an acknowledgement circumstances can quickly change in the week’s ahead.

Villa, for instance, have played only six matches since the summer window closed, while Saturday’s trip to Wolves is the first of five in 17 days before the end of the year.

Wesley, who became the club’s then record signing in June 2019 when he arrived in a £21m deal from Club Brugge, had scored five goals in 21 appearances before suffering serious ligament damage at Turf Moor.

Following surgery, he has undergone an extensive rehabilitation process.

“He’s been handed over to the sports conditioning team and they are working with him now,” said Smith.

“Hopefully he will be with us in the not too distant future. How soon that will be will depend on his aerobic capacity and how quickly he works.

“He (and Heaton) are two players who are extremely strong mentally. I have no doubts they will have had their dark moments through period of long-term injury, as all players do.

“But Tom has come through that period now and has played a couple of games for the under-23s.

“We always knew his recovery would be a little bit sooner than Wes because they were different injuries. He too will have had dark moments, wondering am I ever going to make it back into the game?

“But when they eventually get on that grass, start feeling it under their feet and start kicking the ball about again, I think that is when it starts to hit home they are on the comeback trail.

“We have got a really good medical staff and performance team who have helped the players keep a positive mindset.”