Isn't that the statement that should have come out of Villa Park this afternoon or am I being too sensitive to the potential defensive crisis we're on the brink of?

Okay Mellberg only has a bruise and Ridgewell will be back in a few days but apart from those two Gary Cahill is our only natural central defender who isn't on the treatment table at the moment.

We might let him go and be able to recall him at our leisure which wouldn't be so bad and a few competitive games may well be exactly what he needs.

It would just be nice after all this speculation today if the club had made a comment, afterall he was kept at Villa Park despite requests for him to go out on loan.

The least the club can do is squash these rumours one way or the other for everyone involved, especailly me.