Jlloyd Samuel's injury added to Aston Villa's problems after Burnley knocked them out of the Carling Cup on Tuesday.

The England Under-21 international was taken off after an hour at Turf Moor with a shoulder injury - leaving Villa's small squad short of another player ahead of Saturday's trip to Everton.

Manager David O'Leary is already without England striker Darius Vassell after the 24-year-old broke an ankle against Fulham last weekend.

"Jlloyd has hurt his shoulder and he is very, very doubtful for Saturday at this moment in time," said O'Leary.

"It makes a difference because we have no other left-back at the club. To be fair, Jlloyd has been playing every game for us so it was bound to haunt us at some time.

"You'd love to have players to replace players with properly, that's the way to scare people, but my hands are tied with that."

Gareth Barry, the obvious replacement for Samuel, is out with a knee injury along with centre-back Martin Laursen.

O'Leary joked that he and his assistant manager are next in the pecking order of defenders at Villa Park: "Roy Aitken and myself might make the bench yet, you never know."

Samuel's injury means Liam Ridgewell will probably keep his place in the back four for the visit to Goodison Park to face David Moyes' Barclays Premiership high-flyers.

Recalling the 20-year-old for the Carling Cup third-round tie against the Coca-Cola Championship opponents meant breaking up Olof Mellberg's partnership with makeshift centre-back Mark Delaney at the heart of the defence.

"Ridgewell needed a game, he had to have a game," added O'Leary.

"He is ready and fit, he is a centre-back and Delaney is a right-back so we had to see him."

Clarets boss Steve Cotterill was delighted with his team's performance against Premiership opponents, even without suspended Frank Sinclair and injured Ian Moore and Richard Chaplow.

Cotterill said: "They're three great lads, you haven't seen them perform but they performed in the dressing room.

"Those three boys are very much part of the family, part of our squad as small as it is. They did their bit in the dressing room and deserve their credit for what they've done behind the scenes."

Cotterill does not mind who his team faces in the next round as a another top-flight team could provide money for the club, while an easier tie gives them the chance of a decent cup run.

"I don't know because you want the big ones to get knocked out and the longer you stay in it you never know," he added.

"A big side, with a big stadium, we play there or the television cameras come here. I don't mind because it's great revenue for the club."