Brad Guzan has dismissed Aston Villa’s thumping defeats by Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur in their past two matches as “one or two bumps in the road” and said the players remain confident in their own ability as well as Paul Lambert’s methods.

The Midlands club are fifth from bottom, with the worst goal difference in the league, before they face their fellow strugglers Wigan Athletic tomorrow.

Guzan, however, believes the Villa players must look at the bigger picture. “You have to stick together and keep fighting,” he said. “We are confident in what we are doing as individuals and as a club. We are confident in what the coaching staff and the manager are doing on the training ground. We know there is going to be criticism but at the same time we are confident we can put it behind us.”

An injury crisis has not helped Villa’s plight – Nathan Baker picked up a hamstring strain against Spurs and has joined Ron Vlaar (calf), Gabriel Agbonlahor (hip), Charles N’Zogbia (knee), Richard Dunne (groin), Andreas Weimann (calf) and Darren Bent (hamstring) on the sidelines.

Despite Villa’s precarious position there is no suggestion that Lambert is under pressure from the fans or the board.

“When you are a professional and you lose 1-0 or 8-0 it doesn’t matter, a loss is a loss. It stings and hits home,” Guzan said.

Meanwhile, Michu will almost certainly miss Swansea City’s trip to Fulham tomorrow after he limped out of the St Stephen’s Day game at Reading with an ankle injury, although the Welsh club remain hopeful that the Premier League’s joint-leading scorer will be back in action soon.

Michael Laudrup, the Swansea manager, is expected to be in a position to give a clearer indication of the extent of the injury today, after the medical staff have examined the ankle once the swelling has gone down. An initial assessment suggested that Michu has not damaged ankle ligaments.

Guardian Service