Aston Villa recorded a massive victory over Burnley on New Year’s Day to climb out of the relegation zone but there was a price to pay for the three points.

Tom Heaton and Wesley, two mainstays at opposite ends of the pitch, were both taken off injured at Turf Moor and are set for scans to determine the severity amid fears the latter could miss the rest of the season with anterior cruciate ligament damage, per BBC.

And with Villa’s star striker looking set for a spell on the sidelines, the club have already turned their attention towards Daniel Sturridge, according to the Daily Mail.

That reported interest is hardly surprising given the club have been overly reliant on the Belgian this season, with Jonathan Kodjia and Keinan Davis representing nothing more than back up options on the fringes of the first-team squad.

A report from the Telegraph at the end of 2019 claimed the former is a player the club are willing to offload if they can find a replacement attacker, but the recent setback may just force the decision-makers at Villa Park to reconsider their stance.

The 30-year-old has played just 111 minutes of Premier League football this season and is seemingly a backup option at best.

But strip Wesley from the starting XI and Villa are left with little choice other than to call upon a player whose record in the Championship last season (9 goals in 39 games) suggests Smith has good reason to regularly omit him from the squad.

We can infer from The Telegraph’s report on Kodjia that the club aren’t willing to leave themselves short in the striker department. He may be something of an outcast at Villa Park but the fact the club would require a replacement to justify his sale proves he isn’t surplus to requirements just yet.

It’s far from an ideal scenario but in order to justify Kodjia’s sale Villa would now need to sign two attackers rather than one – a replacement for Kodjia, as per Telegraph’s report, and also a player to fill in for Wesley.

Striking a balance between quality, value and also player satisfaction is incredibly challenging during the mid-season window, and it seems incredibly unlikely Villa would be able to find two attackers who are willing to battle with Wesley for a starting spot upon his return.

Kodjia certainly isn’t the man Villa will want to rely on the fire them to safety, but they may have to rethink their stance on his future in light of Wesley’s setback.