Steve Bruce provides Aston Villa fitness update

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Aston Villa are set to take on Derby County at Pride Park tomorrow.

Aston Villa boss Steve Bruce has told the Birmingham Mail that he does not believe Henri Lansbury or Alan Hutton will be fit enough to play at the weekend.

Both Lansbury and Hutton have picked up knocks in the past week, which they are still recovering from, and Bruce does not expect the duo to make it off the treatment table to play at Pride Park against Derby County.

Lansbury’s and Hutton’s absences are a major blow to Bruce, as they both were in line to feature.

And Bruce admits that he has had to have a major re-think about his selection plan ahead of the contest.

“Lansbury is sore, he struggled towards the end of the game last week, I don’t think he’ll make it,” Bruce said.

“Alan Hutton picked up a knock in training trying to cross a ball, I don’t think he’ll make it.

“So our plans we had 24-48 hours ago have been ripped up and we’ll start again and see what we have got today.”

Villa travel to Derby tomorrow knowing that victory would boost their promotion chances significantly.

Derby are currently one place above Villa in the Championship table, with Gary Rowett’s side occupying fourth spot.

Villa were disappointing last weekend, as they failed to beat Millwall, but Bruce’s side still head into the contest in good form.

The claret and blues have lost just once in their nine matches to consolidate their position in the play off places.