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London - Aston Villa's record signing Adama Traore is a "marked man" and should be prepared for rough treatment, manager Tim Sherwood said after the forward picked up a knock to his ankle in their League Cup victory against Notts County on Tuesday.
Traore, 19, scored his first goal for the club in the 5-3 win but was forced off the field in the 60th minute.
"The only way to stop him at the minute is to kick him. He's a marked man. He will have to get used to it," Sherwood told the club website (www.avfc.co.uk).
"It doesn't look good to be honest. He took a heavy knock - I thought it was a bad tackle. It was his ankle," the 46-year-old said of Traore, who joined from Barcelona earlier this month on a five-year contract.
"He's a real talent. It's too soon to tell how serious but he's packed in ice and hobbling around," the former Tottenham Hotspur manager added.
Sherwood is also excited to face Championship side Birmingham City, their city rivals, in the next round of the League Cup.
"We will give them (the fans) a performance. We won't leave anything on the field," he added.
