Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce has confirmed that the club is in talks with Ghana and Ivory Coast as they look to have Jordan Ayew and Jonathan Kodjia available for their encounter with Cardiff City on January 2.
Both attack minded players have been called up to represent their respective countries as Ayew is expected to join his teammates in the UAE for the pre-AFCON residential camping.
Kodjia is also expected to link up with the Ivory Coast squad on January 2, where they will undergo preparations before flying out to the host country Gabon.
The tournament will start on January 14 but Ghana's and Ivory Coast’s first games doesn’t arrive until a couple of days later.
Bruce is hopeful that this fact will be enough to persuade the two countries to alllow their players arrive late in camp.
“They leave us on the second. We are trying to see if they can play against Cardiff. We have gone to their associations and are waiting for them to come back to us,” he said, as reported by the Birmingham Mail.
“Of course they are big players but we knew that when we signed them. The African Nations lasts a month. We have four or five games but there are plenty of others who, hopefully, can rise to the challenge. It’s a big opportunity.”
Bruce will be wanting to see £12m summer signing Ross McCormack, who proved himself to be a prolific goalscorer in the Championship with Leeds United as well as Fulham before joining Villa, contribute more in forthcoming weeks.