Drinkwater, who joined Villa on loan from Chelsea in the January transfer window, will be disciplined by the club after being sent home from Bodymoor Heath by boss Dean Smith following the incident on Tuesday.

The 30-year-old is expected to be fined after becoming embroiled in an altercation with Spanish wideman Jota, during a session involving players who did not feature in Monday’s 4-0 defeat at Leicester.

Drinkwater had arrived at Villa hoping to revive a career gone stale following a £30million move to Chelsea from Leicester in 2017.

But he has failed to finish any of his four appearances for the club and has been an unused substitute in Villa’s last two Premier League games.

The latest incident could barely have come at a worse time for Smith, who has found his own position come under increasing scrutiny as he battles to keep Villa in the Premier League.

Monday’s defeat was the club’s fifth straight in all competitions and left them 19th in the table, two points from safety, with 10 matches remaining.