The experienced striker has not featured for the first-team for over six months due to a series of discipline and fitness problems.
Gabby Agbonlahor has a slim chance of making the Aston Villa squad for Sunday’s derby at Birmingham City, manager Steve Bruce has revealed at his pre-match press conference.
Agbonlahor, 30, has yet to feature for Villa this season after being frozen out by former boss Roberto Di Matteo and had been training with the Under-23s prior to Bruce’s appointment earlier this month.
The long-serving striker has since been given a chance to resurrect his claret and blue career, however, and has been back working with the senior squad over the past two weeks ahead of a potential first-team return.
Bruce revealed before last weekend’s 1-0 home win over Fulham that he had been pleased with the way the ex-club captain had conducted himself since his arrival but stressed that he was still some way off reaching the level required to be considered for selection.
As a result, the former England international has been placed on a six-week fitness programme as he bids to prove his worth to his new boss, but Bruce admitted ahead of the trip to St Andrew’s that he would at least consider including him in the squad for what will be his fourth match in charge.
“It’s something I will think of,” Bruce said at his press conference when asked whether Agbonlahor could be involved on the weekend. “It’s fair to say I put him on a programme when I walked through the door of how he can be in better shape. I don’t think I will waiver from that.
“He came in on Wednesday and said he wanted to travel with us so that shows good signs from him. He is a good player who has played at the top level all his life and scored goals. It might be a bit early for him but he will be with us.
“He’s been a good player over the years. The challenge for him now is getting back to where he was as a player. He’s been caught up in the downward slide over the last couple of years. We have got him on the programme and he’s done everything we have asked of him. I hope that continues.”
Agbonlahor famously has an impressive scoring record in second city derbies, bagging four goals in his last seven games against Birmingham, but his recent plight has been him become a polarising figure among Villa fans.
The homegrown front man scored just once in 18 total appearances last season as the team finished bottom of the Premier League and failed to feature from March onwards after becoming embroiled in a series of controversial incidents.
He was initially dropped from the first-team for April’s 4-0 loss to Chelsea while the club briefly carried out an investigation into his conduct during a mid-season trip to Dubai, while he was also placed on a personal fitness programme later that month after caretaker manager Eric Black revealed that he was “not at the level to contribute”.
Only a few days later, though, he was suspended by Villa after being pictured apparently partying on the same night their relegation was confirmed with a 1-0 defeat at Manchester United, forcing him to step down from his role as club captain.
The majority of supporters consequently expected him to leave B6 by the end of the summer, but despite being told he had no future at the club under Di Matteo, the Birmingham native opted to reject a proposed loan move to Reading during the closing hours of the transfer window.
With Bruce since offering him a clean slate, he was given a chance to impress in the Under-23 side’s clash with Swansea City on Monday afternoon but ultimately flattered to deceive, lasting only 61 minutes before being replaced as Kevin MacDonald’s side fell to a 2-1 defeat.
Given his previous derby heroics, there will likely be at least a few Villa fans who still want to see him play some part in Sunday’s match, but whether Bruce believes he has done enough to warrant inclusion remains to be seen.
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