Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert is tightlipped over the future of Charles N'Zogbia.
N'Zogbia has not kicked a ball for the claret and blues this season after rupturing his achilles while keeping fit on holiday in Miami during the summer.
"I always have an open mind," said Lambert. "We'll see what happens in January but we need to get his injury cleared up first.
"I think an achilles heel is a bad injury. When you get that sometimes you're better off just breaking your leg because you can come back quicker than an achilles heel. It's just a horrible injury to get, so we just have to see.
"He's still a way bit off. It's still a bit of a long-term one. I wouldn't have thought the whole season but it will still be long term.
"We need every player to be fit."
