How would Smith replace Chester if he is unfit for the Second City derby?

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Aston Villa’s James Chester reportedly went on international duty with an injury that flared up during Wales’ defeat to Denmark last week.

The central defender was risked by Ryan Giggs and that could offer Villa boss Dean Smith a real headache as he prepares for the Second City derby against Birmingham City this weekend.

Alongside Manchester United loanee Axel Tuanzebe, Chester has been forming a solid foundation at the heart of Smith’s Villa revolution and would be a huge miss for a game that means so much to the club’s fans.

Perhaps surprisingly given that his predecessor Steve Bruce was a centre-half himself, Smith inherited a Villa squad that was light in that area.

That means he doesn’t have too many options with which to replace the injured Welshman. Moving Mile Jedinak back to centre-half looks like his safest bet.

The former Crystal Palace holding midfield player has played back there before and has the experience that Tuanzebe might need alongside him if he is to perform to his best in a game of such magnitude.

The dearth of choices underlines why Smith has brought Micah Richards back into Villa training; he cannot afford to be too proud to ignore central defensive options, whoever and wherever they might be.