Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce says he will not be forced into making new purchases due to the imminent departure of about three of his players for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon next month.
The Villans could be without Cote d’Ivoire striker Jonathan Kodjia and Ghana duo Jordan Ayew and Albert Adomah, although the third is unlikely to be called up, having been on the international wilderness since last year.
“January, I envisage the Championship will be very, very quiet, as it normally is,” Bruce said.
“I can’t see there being the huge turnaround that everybody thinks there’s going to be. I simply don’t think that the players are there for sale.
“It’s a difficult time because of the Africa Cup of Nations. We’re losing two or three players for a month. So in that respect, it’s very, very difficult. We have to be patient.
“The one thing I’ll never do is buy on impulse. I think we’ve done that too often here.
“If we can buy a player that can improve the team then great. The lads here already have shown me they’re good enough.”
While Ayew has two goals and 19 appearances in the Championship to his name this season, Adomah holds 15 outings and a goal.
Kodjia’s absence, however, will be the most felt, having scored eight times in 17 topflight matches.
The trio could miss the crunch FA Cup fixture with Tottenham Hotspur on January 8.
The Afcon is set to run between January 14 and February 5 in Gabon.
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