Christmas wait for Aston Villa's Downing debut

Jul 24 2009 by Mathew Kendrick, Birmingham Mail

STEWART Downing could be forced to wait until Christmas for his Villa debut after discovering he is still at least four months away from full fitness.

It was hoped Downing would be available by October after becoming Martin O’Neill’s first summer signing last week despite a fractured foot.

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But the former Middlesbrough winger has revealed that it will now be even longer before he is fit enough to pull on the claret and blue of Villa.

“The target is late November start of December,” said Downing.

“If I’m ready before then that’s a bonus, if it’s after then it just needs time to heal.”

“The pin should hopefully be coming out in September and then it’s a case of building it up. I definitely want to play before Christmas but the manager wants me 100 per cent right and is prepared to give me extra time to do it.”

Before last Thursday’s £12 million move, Downing feared his injury would wreck his World Cup dream by scaring off potential

suitors and condemn him to Championship football with Boro in the run up to South Africa 2010.

“I thought I might have to wait until January or maybe the next summer which was frustrating because it’s a World Cup year,” said Downing, who sustained the injury in a challenge with new Villa team-mate Stiliyan Petrov in the penultimate game of last season.