Report: Mile Jedinak braced to start for Aston Villa against Birmingham City

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Aston Villa are set to take on Birmingham City in a highly anticipated Midlands derby at the weekend.

According to the Birmingham Mail, Mile Jedinak is braced for his first start under Dean Smith at Aston Villa against Birmingham City this weekend.

Villa have been left short of numbers at the back, with James Chester now facing a race against time to be fit.

Chester picked up an injury on international duty, and Villa are still assessing the severity of the problem.

The Welshman could now be forced to watch the Midlands derby from the sidelines, and if he doesn’t start, Jedinak is set to be called up.

Jedinak was used regularly by Steve Bruce, but has hardly been seen since Smith arrived.

The Australian international has been forced out of Villa’s starting line-up, with Axel Tuanzebe and Chester’s partnership at the back proving to be very strong.

If Jedinak does come in at centre-back, some Villa fans could be left very worried.

Bruce received extreme criticism for persistently using Jedinak in the heart of Villa’s defence, and if Jedinak is used there in such a big game then it could be an area of weakness for Birmingham to exploit.