Marvelous Nakamba has suffered a blow in his quest for redemption at his EPL club after sustaining a groin injury on national duty with the Warriors over the weekend.

The Zimbabwean is looking to turn over a new leaf following the arrival of Steven Gerard as the new head coach of the team.

Gerard replaced Dean Smith last week following the latter’s dismissal after a string of poor results.

Under Smith, Nakamba struggled for game time, making fifty-nine appearances but most of them as a substitute. He played second fiddle to more-attack minded Douglas Luiz.

With the new coach preferring his full-backs to drive forward and midfielders stay behind to cover the spaces at the back, the system perfectly suits the Zimbabwean star, who is defensive-minded.

But the recent injury setback could derail Nakamba’s pursuit for a regular place in the first team when Gerard begins his tenure against Brighton this week.

The 27-year old will be assessed by Villa medical staff ahead of the fixture, with his availability for the return unclear.