Ritchie De Laet started for Aston Villa in their 2-1 defeat to Reading last night.
De Laet started for Villa against Reading, but his return did not go entirely to plan.
The claret and blues were beaten 2-1 by the Royals at the Madejski Stadium in what was a damaging defeat.
But Bruce was largely satisfied with De Laet’s performance in the contest.
He said: “It was good to see Ritchie De Laet back out there on the pitch.
“He’s been out for about 11 months.
“He’s done everything in pre-season and I thought he was ready for the game. I thought he did okay.”
Villa had to do a lot of defending against Reading, with Bruce’s defensive tactics causing huge frustration.
The Midlands side were booed off the pitch, after what was another below-par performance.
Villa have failed to win any of their first three matches this season, wit pressure seriously mounting on Bruce.
The former Hull boss insisted he is the right man for Villa last night, but there are serious doubts among supporters.
Villa are next in action at the weekend, when they take on Norwich City.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
