Bouma has been out since July while Carew has not played since November

Aston Villa defender Wilfred Bouma and striker John Carew have both resumed full training after lengthy spells out.

The 30-year-old Bouma has been out for nearly six months with a dislocated ankle, an injury he picked up in July's 1-0 Intertoto Cup win over Odense.

Carew, 29, has been absent since the end of November with a back injury.

Meanwhile Villa boss Martin O'Neill is to assess 31-year-old captain Martin Laursen's fitness on a game-by-game basis after inconclusive knee scans.

"We are going to try and manage it," O'Neill told the club's website. "We are not exactly sure what his position is.

606: DEBATE Awesome news to have Freddie back, obviously it will take far longer than Carew to get him playing again AVFC - Pride of Brum

"We will try and get him pain-free for games and see if he is comfortable. We miss him because he is a big player for us."

Speaking about Bouma and Carew's progress, O'Neill added: "They are training with the first team and have done a bit extra too, it is very encouraging.

"John is still short of real, complete match fitness but at least he is training and there has been no reaction so far.

"Freddie has been out for a fairly lengthy time now and is still feeling pretty stiff," he added.

Carew's last appearance for Villa was as a substitute in the 0-0 draw with Manchester United on 22 November.

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