Villa send Reo-Coker home

The Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill has sent his midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker home from training after an argument on the training ground between the pair.

O’Neill said the pair had not grappled each other, as had been reported, and claimed they had only a verbal exchange.

The former Wimbledon captain returned to the Bodymoor Heath complex today but was asked to leave by O’Neill as punishment for the incident.

Reo-Coker will be out of this weekend’s squad to face Portsmouth but will return to training next week. The player has not been transfer listed.

Reo-Coker joined Villa from West Ham for £7.5 million in the summer of 2007 but was often left on the bench and frequently played out-of-position at right-back until the signing of Habib Beye this summer.

Aston Villa will face Portsmouth with a relatively injury-free lineup, with new signings Richard Dunne, James Collins and Stephen Warnock expected to make their home debuts. Only Wilfred Bouma and Stewart Downing remain as long-term injury worries.