McLeish rules out Bent return

Aston Villa boss Alex McLeish has revealed Darren Bent will not feature in the final two league fixtures due to an ankle injury.

McLeish admits he considered recalling the striker for the final two games of the season as Villa continue their battle against the drop. However, Bent will not be available for the visit of Spurs on Sunday or the trip to Norwich on the final day of the season, but McLeish expects the 28-year-old to recover in time for Euro 2012 - if he is selected by new England boss Roy Hodgson. "I said 'are you ready to go on the bench at the weekend or something," the Villa boss told the club's official website. "He said: 'No, not quite, but I'm making good progress, so boss it might be too soon'. "I don't believe there is a chance of him playing again for Villa this season. "The doc thinks he's got a chance for the Euros though, so if he's talking he's talking about four or five weeks."