Former Blackburn Rovers midfielder and BBC pundit Robbie Savage has said that he expects Welsh defender James Collins will return to the first-team action with the national team soon.

James Collins has not been part of the international setup with the Welsh national team since March. He played in the 2-0 defeat at the hands of England in the Euro 2012 qualifiers. However, Robbie Savage expects his former teammate to return to first-team action sooner rather than later. Wales manager Chris Coleman has once again omitted him from the squad that will play friendlies against Mexico in the month of May.

It is also very likely that he will be omitted for the squads that will be up against the World Cup 2014 qualifiers in September. James Collins’ Aston Villa future is also under a huge cloud of doubt after being involved in a nightclub brawl with a few other teammates. Even though he has since apologised for the incident, it remains to be seen if the Aston Villa board and the fans will be able to forgive him for the incident. Robbie Savage has also said that Aston Villa should focus on spending more money if they are to avoid a relegation battle once again.

“He’ll play for Wales for many years to come. It’s been a difficult season for him but he can recover. James hasn’t got anything to prove in the Premier League. They’ll be in the bottom half definitely – unless they spend some money. Look at the promoted clubs,” said Robbie Savage speaking at the event organised by the English Football Association. Robbie Savage has been working as a pundit ever since retiring from his professional football career. Aston Villa finished the season in the 16th position with just 38 points on board.