Aston Villa haven’t had much to get excited about lately but the return of John McGinn to training should fill his teammates and management with optimism.

The midfielder has been unavailable since picking up an injury prior to the Christmas break, and since then the Villans have slipped into the relegation zone.

When McGinn was ruled out Dean Smith lost a key cog in the spine of the team, along with Tyrone Mings and striker Wesley, who has also been out long-term.

The Midlands outfit have had to adapt as a result, therefore, but have struggled to do so – winning just three out of ten league games without the Scotland international.

Now Premier League games have been suspended the midfielder has more time to get up to speed, and if he is fully fit by the beginning of April then he should be a huge asset in Villa surviving relegation.

Those reactions below show how highly-rated he is by the fanbase, which is unsurprising given his return of five goal contributions and 2.3 tackles per game.

If he can reunite his partnership with Jack Grealish he could also help the Villans skipper find his best form once more, while McGinn himself could also improve by playing alongside the in-form Marvelous Nakamba.

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As a result, and in light of current affairs, supporters have been calling for McGinn to be protected by the club, but now they don’t have to risk rushing him back the former Hibernian man should make a successful return to playing.

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Elsewhere, Villa fans have been reacting to Danny Drinkwater’s antics in training this week…