Aston Villa striker Emile Heskey is on the road to recovery after suffering a setback with a back injury.

The England international has been left out of the national squad for their friendly with Brazil in Qatar this weekend but seems to be recovering quickly and should not need a lengthy stint on the sidelines according to Villa boss Martin O’Neill.

"It's not a serious problem which will keep Emile out for weeks,” O’Neill said.

"I know Emile from the past, he's had an ongoing back problem throughout his time. It comes up now and again and it gets very stiff and it obstructs him.

"But overall it's not a monumentally difficult thing and we're trying to get to the bottom of it."