By Graham Hill
TOM Carroll’s loan spell at Aston Villa ended in sadness for the former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder.
A hip operation meant that his time at Villa Park was cut short after the Swansea player made just two appearances as a substitute against Reading and Derby.
Carroll was always going to be facing a battle to be part of Dean Smith’s matchday 18 as Villa could not use all of their loan players at the same time.
But he could still have had a part to play in the run-in to the end of the season with Villa looking to secure a place in the play-offs.
Carroll, 26, tweeted: “Gutted that surgery was the only remaining option. All the best for the rest of the season”.
And Villa issued a statement saying: “We can confirm that Tom Carroll has returned to Swansea City after being ruled out for the rest of the season. The midfielder has undergone a hip operation and will begin his rehabilitation with his parent club.”
Swansea boss Graham Potter told Wales reporters: “He’s had a disappointing season in that regard – with hip problems – so he’s had surgery to fix it.
“He’ll be back next week and hope to be back at the start of next season.”
Villa Roar 