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Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn will miss the club’s next two Championship fixtures against Stoke City and Derby County respectively after accumulating his 10th booking of the season in the 2-0 defeat against West Bromwich Albion last weekend, and it could provide fringe man Birkir Bjarnason with a big opportunity.

On the chalkboard

Well, McGinn has been a key player for the Midlands outfit following his summer move from Hibernian, with the 24-year-old scoring two goals and providing a further eight assists in 31 appearances in all competitions this term.

However, while he has been impressive in the middle of the park his disciplinary record has been the complete opposite, with his latest yellow card ruling him out of Dean Smith’s men’s upcoming brace of important matches.

The former Brentford boss increased his central midfield options with the loan addition of Tom Carroll during the January transfer window, and with the likes of Conor Hourihane, Glenn Whelan and Mile Jedinak to pick from competition for places has been rife – Bjarnason has been one of the big losers.

Is this a chance to prove Smith wrong?

It might well be, yes.

The Iceland international started three successive league matches in January before being left out of the squad completely for the subsequent game against Ipswich Town, with Smith admitting after the final whistle that the 30-year-old wasn’t injured.

He has been on the bench twice since then but again missed out on the 18 against the Baggies last weekend, although he may well now have been handed a reprieve by McGinn’s impending absence.

With little over a year remaining on his contract Bjarnason will be out to prove to Smith that he deserves a spot in the starting XI if given a chance, and to secure his future at Villa Park.