Curtis Davies accepts he faces a battle to earn an Aston Villa recall.

The centre-half has resumed training since recovering from a shoulder op and hopes to see action next month.

But Davies told the Sunday Mercury: "I'm envious in the fact that I want to be out there playing, not because it's anyone new or anything like that.

"I just want to be out there playing.

"I was envious watching Ciaran Clark play against Fulham, never mind James Collins or Richard Dunne.

"If I'm not playing, then I'm basically envious of everybody out there. I'm happy that the new defenders are doing well, because it means the club's doing well.

"If I was a selfish person then I'd be thinking 'Oh, let another one in' and then we'd end up losing games.

"The main thing for me is that the team are doing as well as possible in the Premier League and going as far in the Carling Cup and the FA Cup as they can.

"Hopefully when I'm fit I could be in with a shout, although it's going to be a tough ask."