(Reuters) – Aston Villa’s Dutch defender Ron Vlaar is back in training and could be fit for Monday’s Premier League clash with second-placed Manchester City.

Vlaar missed last weekend’s defeat against Arsenal, which sent Villa back into the bottom three of the table, with a calf injury.

Aston Villa's captain Ron Vlaar reacts after his side lost their English League Cup semi-final second leg soccer match against Bradford City at Villa Park in Birmingham, central England, January 22, 2013. REUTERS/Darren Staples

"Ron is doing okay at the minute and I need to monitor him and how he is going to be," Villa manager Paul Lambert said on the club’s website (www.avfc.co.uk) on Friday.

"We’ve still got a few days to see how he progresses. We will have to wait and see.

"He would be a big miss because I think he has been playing really well of late."

Striker Darren Bent is still struggling with a foot injury and will miss the match but goalkeeper Shay Given has recovered from a groin strain and should be in the squad to face his former team.

(Writing by Alison Wildey; Editing by Justin Palmer)

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