Aston Villa have recalled young front man Lewis Dobbin from his season-long loan at West Midlands neighbours West Bromwich Albion.

The 21-year-old, who joined Villa from Everton for a reported £10m in the summer, was sent out on loan to the Championship club in early August but made only one league start for Albion, the 1-1 draw against Preston in November, as well as 16 substitute appearances.

But he was not in managerless Albion’s matchday squad for the New Year’s Day 3-1 home win over North End – and joint-caretaker boss Chris Brunt confirmed that the two clubs have come to an agreement to terminate the loan.

“Villa have asked to call him back,” Brunt told BBC Radio WM. “He’s not played as much as they’d have wanted for a loan player coming out of a Premier League club.

“We’ll just have to roll with it and move on, but it’s an opportunity for our younger players.”

While Dobbin has gone, Albion have had better news on midfielder Alex Mowatt and defender Mason Holgate following scans on groin injuries.

“Hopefully, it’s not as bad as initially feared,” Brunt added. “It’s too soon to say about Saturday – but the more the merrier in terms of bodies going to Swansea. It’s a hard old slog at this time of the season and you have to manage it the best you can.”

After losing Carlos Corberan to Valencia on Christmas Eve, then starting with a Boxing Day defeat at Derby, the three-man caretaker management team of Brunt, Boaz Myhill and Damia Abella have now picked up four points from two games – a draw at Sheffield United and now the Baggies’ first haul of more than two goals in a home match since beating Preston 3-0 last May.

But Brunt laughed off the idea that he might now be in danger of keeping the job.

“I’m relatively inexperienced for anything like that,” he said. “But I’ll carry on trying to give my best for the club, as I always did as a player, until hopefully the right person is appointed. I’m not sure what the script is from above but we’ll just keep plodding away until we’re told otherwise.”