Villa face wage bill after Jenas’s injury

The Tottenham player underwent surgery on Tuesday night after suffering the setback in last weekend’s home clash with Manchester United, Jenas’s full debut for Villa.

He made only two other appearances as a substitute against Norwich and Swansea after his temporary switch from White Hart Lane in August.

But Villa boss Alex McLeish believes the agreement with Spurs will have to be honoured despite Jenas returning to his parent club.

McLeish said: “I think you do an agreement with a club and you take that on as far as the agreement goes (lasts). The club which takes him (a player) on loan has to fulfil that agreement.

“Jermaine will go back to Tottenham but we’ve still got an agreement with Tottenham.”

Younes Kaboul, meanwhile, is baffled by Jermain Defoe’s recent omission from the England squad and has backed his Tottenham team-mate to force his way into Fabio Capello’s Euro 2012 plans.

Defoe was left out of the squad for the recent games against Spain, Sweden and Montenegro and has not played a competitive match for his country in 15 months.

The 29-year-old has struggled to break into the Tottenham first team at times this year, but has looked sharp all season and is the club’s top scorer with eight goals in all competitions.

Spurs and France centre-half Kaboul has been impressed with Defoe’s form this year and thinks he could end up facing his team-mate when England meet Les Bleus in Group D’s opening game next summer.

“Of course Jermain can get in (the England team),” Kaboul said. “If I was the manager I would play him straight away.”