Aston Villa send somehow-still-young midfielder to Nottingham

Aston Villa have sent Gary Gardner on loan to Nottingham Forest until the end of the season. The seemingly perpetually-injured Gardner will make his debut tomorrow against Sheffield Wednesday according to John Percy of the Telegraph. Forest currently sit in eleventh in the Championship and look to be neither worried about relegation nor a threat to challenge for promotion. Given their position and relative security, it may actually be a chance for Gardner to get some playing time.

And that's something he sorely needs. It's easy to forget that the once-promising young midfielder is still actually young. Just 22 years old, actually. He had a good loan spell this fall at Brighton and Hove Albion, where he made eleven appearances and found the back of the net twice.

Gardner joined Aston Villa as a kid in 2005 and suffered an ACL tear before he could even turn 18. Since then it has been a constant battle between fitness and potential. His contract will keep him with Villa through the end of the 2015-16 season, so hopefully he can turn the corner and become a contributor at Villa Park rather than out on loan.