CHRIS Powell is backing Dale Stephens to quickly put the disappointment of seeing a deadline day move to Premier League Aston Villa fall through.

The Addicks midfielder had been expected to complete a switch to Villa Park yesterday but the deal fell through after the two clubs failed to agree a fee, with Villa instead snapping up Ashley Westwood from Crewe.

Stephens was not involved in this afternoon’s 2-1 defeat at Nottingham Forest after Powell decided not to include him in his squad.

When asked how disappointed Stephens was to miss out on the Villa switch, the Addicks boss replied: “I don’t know because he didn’t travel, I made that decision quite early.

“Dale is our player, it hasn’t happened and he is strong willed, strong minded and he will be OK.

“He will get over it and we will make sure that he is right and ready to come back into the team.

“There is disappointment maybe from his point of view but he is at a good level and he will carry on playing for us and then roll on January, something might happen again. Who knows?”

And although pleased to keep hold of the player for now, Powell conceded yesterday’s late collapse of the Villa move did have an impact on his own plans to bring fresh faces in.

He explained: “It is a strange scenario for a lot of people.

“We possibly were going to lose a player so obviously I had to have one eye on do I replace him, can I do it and in the end it didn’t happen.

“So it is a disappointment on one hand that we were possibly going to bring people in but in some respects I’m happy that a lot of my key players, who people feel are sought after, haven’t gone.

“I suppose I am OK until January 1 and then you go again but I’ve got full trust in my players here and my squad and we will have our time again.”

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