Steve Bruce: 'Ross McCormack must apologise to play for Aston Villa'

Aston Villa boss Steve Bruce has revealed that Ross McCormack will only have a future at the club if he apologises to his teammates.

Bruce has previously criticised McCormack's attitude towards training after the Scot missed a session because the gates at his house failed to work.

He has since been shipped out on loan to Nottingham Forest, but Bruce insists that the attacker can still play for the West Midlands outfit in the future.

The 56-year-old is quoted by the Birmingham Mail as saying: "I think it was plainly obvious [that he wasn't going to apologise].

"Certainly, he won't play for me unless he apologises, not to me but to the club and his teammates. If he does then he'll be like everybody else, a new slate, no problem."

Forest host Aston Villa at the City Ground this weekend, but McCormack is unable to play against his parent club.