Makoun, signed from Lyon for £6 million during the January transfer window, has a slight calf problem but Villa are hopeful he will be fit for the Premier League game at Blackpool on Saturday. Gerard Houllier said: "He is an experienced player. He is a proper link between the midfield and the strikers. "He has played in the Champions League. He'll be a good asset for the future." Houllier is keeping his fingers crossed that a dozen Villa players on international duty this week return unscathed on Thursday to start preparing for the match at Bloomfield Road. He added: "You have mixed feelings. First you are proud for the club and for the fans that some players have gone off to internationals, whether it's at first-team level or youth level. "At the same time you are always worried and there's a little bit of anguish that there's no major injuries that they get from the internationals, but that's just football."
