Steve Bruce provides fitness update on Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor

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Aston Villa are set to take on Birmingham City at St. Andrews on Sunday.

Steve Bruce has admitted that Gabriel Agbonlahor is highly unlikely to be fit enough to play for Aston Villa against Birmingham City at his press conference, which was broadcast by the Villans’ official Facebook page.

Agbonlahor has a wonderful record for scoring in the second city derby, but he is nursing a calf injury at the moment.

And Bruce admits that the striker is highly unlikely to be fit enough to play against Birmingham.

“The big one, as everyone has just asked me is – is Gabby going to be okay? I doubt it,” Bruce admitted. “I can’t see Gabby making it. He’s got a bad calf.”

Agbonlahor is one of a number of fitness doubts that Villa have ahead of the derby match.

Henri Lansbury, Jack Grealish and Mile Jedinak are all returning from from injuries, and could be doubts for the contest.

Bruce said: “Lansbury’s still niggling away at home. Jack has two games under his belt in four months.

“Mile has trained for the last week, but he hasn’t played since last May, really. So that would be a big call.”

Villa go into the match at St. Andrews on a good run of form, which has seen them win four of their last five matches.

The Villans have managed to climb up into the Championship’s play off spaces, and now look to be living up to their billing as promotion favourites.

Birmingham, meanwhile, have struggled to find the winning formula this term – and currently sit just above the relegation zone.