Aston Villa striker Shaun Maloney believes team-mate Curtis Davies will come back from his long-term injury blow a stronger and more determined player.

And the 25-year-old should know after spending months out on the sidelines himself when he was at his former club Celtic and spent a long spell out with a knee injury.

Centre-back Davies, 22, pulled up in Villa's 1-1 draw with Arsenal at The Emirates last weekend after rupturing his Achilles tendon.

He was stretchered off the field in the first half and taken to a North London hospital by ambulance where he underwent emergency surgery.

His prognosis is at least a six month lay-off and Maloney believes that it is crucial Davies prepares himself mentally for the tough fight ahead.

But the Malaysian-born striker also has some words of comfort for his colleague who had just received his first ever England call-up. Maloney fought back from his injury to go on and make his debut for Scotland and has so far earned himself nine caps.

Maloney said: "Curtis was so unfortunate with that injury. He is obviously one of the players who has found his position in the team and he was doing so well.

"He also had that inaugural England call up last month but unfortunately things like this happen and hopefully he will come back from it all a stronger player.

"When I was out with my knee injury a couple of years ago it was a tough time but that happens.

"I would like to think the time I spent out made me a stronger and a better player. At the time it actually happened I couldn't see my future past the injury but looking back now I think it was probably a wake-up call for me.

"I was kind of stumbling along at the time for Celtic and it hit home a bit afterwards. "

Maloney continued: "I would like to think when I got back playing again that maybe I worked a little harder and deserved the break back into the team.

"At the moment Curtis probably won't see it like that but he will be back."

Maloney, who joined Villa in January 2007 in a £1 million move from Celtic, added: "We have had a few injuries of late a couple of the young lads in the reserves have long-term injuries and we just wish them all the best with their recovery.

"To be honest injuries are probably the only downside to being a professional footballer. We saw recently that pretty bad injury at Birmingham where Eduardo got hurt but as a player you can't go round worrying about whether you will get injured or not you just have to get on with the game.

"It isn't nice to see incidents like that and I think all the players were shook up at what happened to Curtis."

Maloney added: "As a player you feel sorry for the player who is injured and just hope they get back playing again whoever they are and whoever they play for."

Maloney meanwhile is enjoying his football at Villa at the moment having finally broken into the first team and earned a regular place in manager Martin O'Neill's starting line-up of late after a spell of having to make do with appearances off the bench.

Last year there was much press speculation about whether or not the striker would return North of the border after he himself admitted he was finding it hard to settle in the Midlands.

But all that is behind him now and Maloney says he is happier than he has ever been.

"I have felt a lot more settled from the start of this season really," he said." Obviously I wasn't playing that much at first but now I am starting games at the moment.

"I need to perhaps keep going and perhaps even do a little bit better and hopefully I can keep my place.

"After all that is what I am here for to play and why Villa brought me here in the first place.