Aston Villa manager Alex McLeish believes that the loss of Jermaine Jenas through injury has served as a damaging blow to the Midlands side.
The Tottenham Hotspur midfielder, who was on a season-long loan at Villa Park, was ruled out for six months after suffering an Achilles injury in December.
"We have probably lacked a guy who can take the ball in midfield and pass it this season," said McLeish. "We've got more dynamic players and a young player in Chris Herd who's learning his trade.
"The loss of Jermaine Jenas at the start of the season was a big one. I recognised at the start of the season that we needed a player who could create from the centre so that has been a bit of a loss for us."
Villa sit 15th in the Premier League table following their 3-0 defeat to Arsenal at the weekend.
