Dean Smith hopeful of swift Aston Villa return for Ollie Watkins

Watkins, the club’s top scorer in the Premier League last season with 14 goals, missed the campaign opener against Watford with a bruised knee.

Without him, Villa slumped to a 3-2 defeat at Vicarage Road and Smith later admitted his presence had been missed.

The boss said: “I’m hopeful Ollie will be back for Newcastle. We missed him on Saturday.

“He naturally plays with an intensity and stretches the line really well for us. He certainly wouldn’t have given the Watford back four as much time on the ball as they had today.”

Smith was left fuming with a first-half display which left Villa trailing to goals from Emmanuel Dennis and Ismaila Sarr at the break.

Cucho Hernandez’s spectacular strike further increased the deficit before John McGinn and Danny Ings, with a stoppage time penalty, gave Villa late hope.

Smith gave short shrift to the suggestion his team might not be over the departure of Jack Grealish following the former skipper’s departure to Manchester City in a £100million move.

“We are over Jack,” he said. “He is not here, he is not our player. The players are fully aware of that and we have moved on. The fans have had to move on as well, he is not our player.”

Villa fielded four of their five summer signings at Watford with winger Leon Bailey providing the biggest positive after coming off the bench in the second half. The Jamaica international provided the cross from which McGinn reduced the deficit.

Smith said: “He showed little glimpses of what he can do. I thought Bertrand Traore did the same.

“I thought JJ (Jacob Ramsey) was one of our better players when he came on as well. We have got a lot more depth this season and we can change games from the bench.

“The first half was miles away from where we should be and the players know that.”