The latest Aston Villa news and views from BirminghamLive as we bring you everything Claret and Blue on Wednesday, November 22.

Much knee-ded

Aston Villa defender Tyrone Mings has posted an update as he recovers from a serious knee injury.

Mings had scared a lot of supporters earlier on Tuesday, when he said he would be posting an update about his recovery later in the day. That post eventually came, and it was to the relief of Villa fans.

The defender posted a series of clips from his recovery so far, with a caption on his Instagram post that read: "I know you didn’t think you were getting rid of me that easy. This one is a thank you for all your messages. I’ll keep you updated."

He added a voice-over at the beginning of the compilation, saying: "I just wanted to start things off by saying thank you so much for all the messages people have sent me.

"I've read pretty much every single one. The cards, gifts in the post, tweets, everything has been so appreciated and has helped me through this early stage."

Don't do that

Fans have been reacting to the post, expressing how worried they were about what Mings' update was going to be. Below is a look at what some of them have been saying online.

@JayVtid : We'll be here waiting for you big man. Just wait til you're subbed on in that first game back to get minutes in the legs. Villa Park will be magical.

@DanSmallman_ : Had us all having heart attacks all day with your insta post earlier

@Hiddenvillian93 : The noise the coming out of Villa Park the moment you step out onto the pitch wearing a Villa shirt again is going to be quite something! Unbelievable, big man!!

@18bk74 : Cannot wait to have you back in claret and blue

McGinn again

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery is entitled to feel “frustrated” if John McGinn returns to the club from Scotland duty with an injury, says former Chelsea and Scotland winger Pat Nevin.

Villa captain McGinn hobbled off in the closing stages of Scotland’s Euro qualifiers draw against Norway on Sunday. He had scored from the penalty spot in the 3-3 draw at Hampden Park, but appeared to be holding his knee as he exited the match on 79 minutes.

The episode has sparked fears he could be ruled out when Villa return to Premier League action against Tottenham on Sunday (2pm kick-off). It is another huge match for Emery’s side with Spurs just one point above Villa in fourth place.

Scotland had already qualified for Euro 2024 before the latest round of matches against Georgia and Norway. And Nevin told BBC Sport : "From an Aston Villa fan’s point of view, these ‘dead rubbers’ which would only decide if Scotland ended in pot two or three in next summer’s tournament may have trashed their midfielder John McGinn for a few weeks.

Mind game

Ollie Watkins’ chances of becoming a regular starter for England have taken a blow, according to former goalkeeper Rob Green. The Aston Villa striker was selected ahead of captain Harry Kane for Monday night’s World Cup qualifier against North Macedonia.

Despite the Three Lions dominating possession, it was a difficult night for Watkins, who found space and chances at a premium. He was replaced by Kane in the 58th minute with England trailing 1-0 due to a controversial penalty awarded against debutant Rico Lewis. goalkeeper Jordan Pickford had saved the initial shot but could do nothing about the rebound as North Macedonia took the lead in the first half.

It took Kane just a matter of seconds to make an impact on the game. With his first contribution from a corner, the England captain forced Jani Atanasov to put the ball in his own net to make it 1-1, that is how the game stayed.

Analysing the game on BBC 5Live’s Monday Night Club , Green has said that Kane’s instant impact could be bad news for Watkins ahead of next summer’s European Championships. “I think he’s (Southgate) seen enough,” he said. "I think he’s made his mind up."

Doug deal

Douglas Luiz may leave Aston Villa in the January transfer window if they are not on course for Champions League qualification, the club have been warned.

Luiz "will have Champions League ambition" and may wait to see whether he can achieve that with Villa before making a decision on his future. Clubs will be keen to sign him in January and next summer, with Manchester City among the clubs linked with the Brazilian.

His future will depend on Villa's status in Europe, and that is in the hands of his teammates and Villa. Former Villa defender Richard Dunne believes Luiz and other "big players" are more likely to leave the club than Emery in the coming months.

"It’s more likely that the big players will be poached away, not the manager," Dunne told Betway. "Luiz will have Champions League ambition. He will know soon enough if he can do that at Villa.

"There are certain clubs that need that position covering, so I expect he will be sought after in the January transfer window - if not, the summer."