Bruce has generally refrained from playing the pair as a duo, but believes it may be Villa’s best chance.
Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce has told reporters at his press conference, as quoted by the club’s official website, that striking up a prolific partnership between Jonathan Kodjia and Scott Hogan may be difficult, but could also be the club’s best chance of promotion.
Villa spent an initial fee of £11 million on Kodjia last summer. It was a figure which raised many an eyebrow, but the Ivory Coast international has hit 15 goals in 29 Championship starts.
They further bolstered their strikeforce – after the sales of Rudy Gestede and Jordan Ayew – with the signing of Hogan from Brentford for around £9 million on January transfer deadline day.
However, Hogan’s start to life at the biggest club of his career has not gone to plan, with the 24-year-old managing just four appearances before suffering an injury in late February which has kept him ruled out ever since.
Bruce has often chosen to use Kodjia wide on the right flank rather than through the middle up front this term, but he has now suggested that when Hogan returns from injury he could revert to a more traditional two-up-top formation and look to broker a partnership between his two main forwards.
Bruce said, via avfc.co.uk: “Of course, Jonathan Kodjia is an individual and a bit of a free spirit so whoever you link with him it’s going to be difficult because he’s one of these ‘off the cuff’ players… if that’s the correct term.
“It hasn’t really had a chance but if I can get the two of them firing and the two of them forming a partnership going forward then we’ve got a serious threat to any team. Certainly, if I was centre-back, I wouldn’t want to play against Hogan and Kodjia.
“We’ve got to stay with it. It’s the ideal opportunity to try to make it work. Let’s see if it can. Going forward I honestly think the best way of getting out of the division for me is by playing two up top.
“When I’ve got out of the Championship it’s always been with two strikers so I’ve got to find a way and that’s a way forward for me – to try and play two strikers. We’ve got to try and work on it. We’re in a position where we can.”
Villa travel to Wigan Athletic this weekend in good form, having won four of their last five games, a run which has lifted them to 12th in the table.
Hogan may be fit enough to play some part in the match after Bruce confirmed this week that the striker is back in training.
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