Fabian Delph faces a critical battle to save career TOUGH-tackling Fabian Delph must now hurl himself into the biggest challenge of his career... Today's bombshell that he will be out for the remainder of this season gives Delph plenty of time to think about where he goes from here. He might wish he'd never gone back to Leeds after the cruel twist of fate that led to a severely twisted ankle, but he now needs to go back to basics. Villa have willed him to fulfil his potential, to become the 6 million player who arrived in August 2009 with such a big reputation for one so young, despite no top flight experience. There were encouraging signs he was finding some form at the start of this season when Alex McLeish trusted him enough to start all of the first eight Premier League games. But even then it was hoped that he was finally getting back to his best, not that that WAS his best. Apart from his starring role in the FA Cup win over a then League One Brighton in January 2010, I can't recall a game where Delph has truly influenced a match in the way we were led to believe he could - and would. Gus Poyet, the Seagulls manager, who coached Delph under Dennis Wise at Leeds, eulogised about the Yorkshire youngster after his first Villa goal in that tie, but I can't recall any Premier managers, including Villa ones, being moved to do likewise,