Ciaran Clark has claimed that Chris Herd's return to the Aston Villa setup can only have a positive effect on the team.

The defender made his first appearance in more than 11 months on Sunday as he replaced the injured Ron Vlaar during Villa's 2-0 defeat at Fulham in the Premier League.

Despite a loss for the Villans at Craven Cottage, Clark believes that Herd did well after being out of action for such a lengthy spell.

"He had an injury and has done really well in training," Clark told the club's official website. "He did very well on Sunday and no one could have asked any more of him.

"We've got a big enough and a good enough squad where if there are injuries people can come in and fill in and do a good job."

Villa continue their Premier League campaign on Sunday when they play host to champions Manchester United.