Aston Villa have not given up hope that Stilian Petrov could be available for the start of the Premier League season after scans revealed the midfielder suffered no serious damage when he dislocated his shoulder on Wednesday night. The Bulgarian returned to the Midlands yesterday so that medical staff could determine the severity of the injury but it is understood that the results were more encouraging than Villa had expected.
Petrov will continue to be assessed over the next week or so, with Villa keen to ensure the injury has healed and establish that there is no risk of the shoulder popping out again. Martin O'Neill, however, has been lifted by the initial reports and the Villa manager believes that there is an outside chance Petrov could return in time to feature against Wigan Athletic when the season gets under way in a fortnight's time.
Petrov is also upbeat. "There's no swelling there," he said. "It's just come out and popped in. You know with shoulders sometimes a lot of players can pop them and be in a lot of pain and then a few weeks later it's fine and you can play again. With me it's one of those ones where we have to wait and see. Everybody's frustrated when they're injured but that's part of the game and I'll accept these things. I'll be working hard, I'll be fit again and I'll be back."
John Carew, meanwhile, has given Villa a boost by saying that he remains fully committed to the club despite speculation surrounding his future. The Norway international has been linked with several clubs, including Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City, but he revealed that he feels settled at Villa and also suggested he would be interested in staying beyond the end of his current contract, which runs until 2012.
"There will always be speculation," said Carew. "But I am really, really happy and I haven't thought about anything else. I'm happy in the Premier League and it's been going really well for me. The league is popular in my own country and it's close to home. There are a lot of things about being in Birmingham and England that make it feel like home. I have a good feeling here and I'm really enjoying it. I've got two years on my contract and I'd be happy to stay beyond that."
Carew is also optimistic about the new campaign despite his concerns about the impact of Gareth Barry's departure. "He is a big loss and it's going to be very difficult to replace him," said the striker. He remains confident, however, that Villa can improve on back-to-back sixth-placed finishes providing there is an influx of new talent. "We need more new players in various positions and that will make us stronger over a long period. I am sure we'll bring in a lot more quality."
