Aston Villa coach Dean Smith has hinted at bringing Marvelous Nakamba back into the starting XI in Monday’s league game against West Ham.

Nakamba has struggled to break into the first team this season, sitting out on the bench in the last five games.

But following the injury of Ross Barkley, Smith will now look for other options in the midfield in the next two to three weeks. The on-loan Chelsea midfielder suffered a hamstring injury in the defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion.

Speaking at a presser on Saturday ahead of Monday’s clash, the coach said: “Ross has a hamstring injury, and he’s out for two or three weeks. It’s not as bad as we first feared.

“We have a number of options, and we’ll continue working on them.”

Should Nakamba be opted in, the midfielder will have to adopt a more attacking style to cover up Barkley’s void.

Kick-off is at 10 pm Zimbabwean time.