Barry battles with groin problem

Gareth Barry has revealed he has been playing with a groin problem all season to help Aston Villa's push for a Champions League spot.

But the England midfielder is confident he will not require surgery for the foreseeable future.

Barry, 27, missed the FA Cup clash at Gillingham after being troubled by the injury in the previous Premier League game at Hull.

"We will judge it game by game. No operation is imminent," he said.

Barry returned to action in Saturday's 2-1 home win over West Brom which kept Martin O'Neill's side in the top four and three points ahead of Arsenal.

He added: "It is a bit of a niggle and we felt it would be best to leave me out of the Gillingham game.

"We had scans to see if it was an hernia problem - and whether I would need an operation - but they were all clear.

"The groin felt a lot easier against West Brom and we will judge it day by day and game by game.

"I felt it very strongly against Hull but it has been there all season really."

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