Villa send veteran midfielder out to Coventry City on loan

You might remember Joe Cole. He came to Aston Villa on a free transfer last year and got used sparingly so as not to make his body shatter. He's played once this year, too, appearing in the Capital One Cup against Notts County where he got an assist. Aside from that, though, he's been largely anonymous this season.

And now he's about to fade from your memory even more, as he's headed to Coventry City on a 35-day emergency loan. Cole will join the League One side on Monday and should likely get somewhat regular playing time. The fact that we don't often think about Cole shouldn't be held against him. He has been exactly what we expected when we signed him for a free (a veteran presence who can contribute every once in a while), and that's about all you can ask.

That said, I imagine that you, like me, will be surprised to read the story on November 22 that Cole has returned. "Joe Cole still plays for Villa?" we'll ask then. "Oh yeah, Robert warned me about this."

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