Aston Villa manager Tim Sherwood has said that forgotten midfielder Joe Cole can play a major part in the final few weeks of the season.

Cole is yet to feature under Sherwood due to injury, but he is expected to be fit to face Manchester United at Old Trafford next Saturday.

Sherwood told reporters: "You'll hear me say this a lot but I like players on the pitch that actually affect the game and I think Joe when he's on the pitch affects it. He can score and he can assist. I don't like players who are just out there, I like them to affect football matches.

"It's just nurturing him through. He's getting no younger and it happened to all of us, but I still think he's got a part to play. He's not broken by any means. You just have to make sure you nurture them to get the right balance between training and playing.

"The most important thing is the playing. You need to be at a physical level to play to the standards that I demand."

Cole has made 10 appearances so far this season.