---
title: "Dean Smith provides positive injury update on Heaton, Hause and Guilbert"
canonical: "https://readastonvilla.com/2020/12/15/dean-smith-provides-positive-injury-update-on-heaton-hause-and-guilbert/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Crippy Cooke"
section: "Aston Villa News"
published: "2020-12-15T16:00:00Z"
modified: "2020-12-15T16:00:00Z"
---

# Dean Smith provides positive injury update on Heaton, Hause and Guilbert

Aston Villa manager Dean Smith has confirmed that [Tom Heaton, Kortney Hause and Frederic Guilbert](https://readastonvilla.com/2020/12/15/heaton-hause-guibert-play-for-villa-u23s-leeds/) are available to face Burnley on Thursday.

The trio recently [stepped up their match fitness](https://readastonvilla.com/2020/12/15/heaton-hause-guibert-play-for-villa-u23s-leeds/) in the reserves, playing a full 90 minutes in Sunday’s defeat to Leeds United under-23s, so Smith has a greater selection at his disposal for the visit of Sean Dyche’s Clarets to Villa Park.

The manager said in his [pre-match press conference](https://www.avfc.co.uk/news/2020/december/The-Presser-Smith-speaks-ahead-of-Burnley/): “Kortney Hause came through some minutes on Sunday (for the Under-23s), as did Tom Heaton and Frederic Guilbert, they’re all fit for Thursday evening. So we’ve got quite a few players coming back.”

### READ ASTON VILLA VERDICT

Heaton [returned from a cruciate ligament injury](https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/18860970.burnley-u23s-end-bad-run-equaliser-aston-villa/) in November – coincidentally against Burnley – and has since featured [three times](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/tom-heaton/leistungsdaten/spieler/34130) for the reserves to improve his conditioning after being sidelined since January, [ironically against his former club](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2020/01/02/aston-villas-premier-league-survival-hopes-suffer-blow-fears/). Emiliano Martinez is Dean Smith’s [first-choice goalkeeper](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/aston-villa/leistungsdaten/verein/405), but Heaton could replace Jed Steer as Villa’s go-to backup option.

Hause was an [unused substitute](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/kortney-hause/leistungsdaten/spieler/233124) in Saturday’s 1-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers and came through unscathed from the Leeds under-23 defeat, so he is likely to make the matchday squad against Burnley.

Guilbert’s return comes at a good time as Matty Cash is [suspended](https://www.premierinjuries.com/injury-table.php) for Thursday game, but Ahmed Elmohamady is expected to start at right-back. The Frenchman was an [unused substitute](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/frederic-guilbert/leistungsdaten/spieler/354352) against Wolves and should make the bench again as he didn’t pick up any knocks against Leeds.

***In other news, Smith hailed [one significant improvement](https://readastonvilla.com/2020/12/15/dean-smith-hails-anwar-el-ghazi-application-in-training/) from a member of the Aston Villa squad.***