Tom Carroll should get first Aston Villa start v Sheffield United

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Aston Villa host Sheffield United on Friday night in a league fixture, as ninth faces third in the Championship table.

The Midlands giants go into the contest on the back of a goalless draw with Reading and are going to need more wins quickly if they are to close the gap to the play-offs.

Manager Dean Smith should make an adjustment for the visit of Sheffield United by handing midfielder Tom Carroll his first start for the club.

Carroll joined Villa on Deadline Day of the January transfer window on loan from Swansea City and got a small cameo off the bench against Reading last weekend.

The 26-year-old has plenty of Premier League experience from his time with Swansea and Tottenham, which is why he could bring the touch of class desperately required in the squad.

He is a left-footed dazzler that is renowned for his quality on the ball and can be a pass master that dictates play from deep when on form.

Carroll has an exceptional passing range in his locker and it could be smart for Smith to promote a player that is desperate for minutes during his loan.

The ex-England Under-21 international would be a strong like-for-like replacement for Conor Hourihane, or he could come in to replace Glenn Whelan to try help Villa play a more possession-based game against a strong Sheffield United outfit.