Jonathan Kodjia suffers broken ankle, set to miss the start of next season

Jonathan Kodjia's injury against Blackburn was worse than we thought, and Aston Villa's top scorer this season looks set to miss the start of next season.

The club released a statement this afternoon, confirming that Kodjia has broken his ankle, and will travel to Europe to visit a specialist. Surgery looks likely, and as a result, Kodjia will miss all of pre-season, and the start of next season's Championship campaign too.

The 27 year old Ivorian international has enjoyed a tremendous first season at Villa, finding the back of the net 19 times since signing from Bristol City last summer. Eager to hit the 20 goal milestone, Kodjia featured against Blackburn, in a game which he had no need to play in, as there was essentially nothing for Villa to play for.

Nevertheless, "Jimmy Danger" started, before going to ground following a fairly innocuous challenge. Kodjia was in clear distress, and now we know the extent of the damage. In a cruel twist of fate, Kodjia almost missed the game, as he initially received a three game ban following his red card at Fulham. However, that was reduced to just one, and the Blackburn game was his return to action.

Oftentimes this season, Kodjia has been Villa's only offensive option, and as such, Steve Bruce will now have to use pre-season to find a plan B. Will he sign a new striker? Or will this be an opportunity for Scott Hogan or Ross McCormack to step up?