Aston Villa are sweating over the fitness of skipper Stiliyan Petrov after the midfielder picked up a virus.
Petrov was sent home from training after complaining of feeling unwell and the virus could not have struck at a worse time with the crucial Cup double header coming up this week.
The FA Cup replay against Crystal Palace on Wednesday night is first up and Martin O'Neill will not take any chances on the player ahead of the Carling Cup Final against Manchester United on Sunday.
Petrov will now stay away from the training ground to prevent other players being affected by the bug which would cause havoc in the Villa ranks if it started to spread.