Martin O’Neill is expected to launch an investigation into allegations that John Carew was out on the town in the early hours of Thursday morning before being left out of Aston Villa’s Uefa Cup game with Ajax because of tiredness.

The Norway striker, who has had blood tests after complaining of fatigue, was allegedly spotted with a female companion in The Rocket Club, an “exclusive gentleman’s club” in the centre of Birmingham, in the early hours of the morning of the game. The blood tests were negative but it is believed that O’Neill had still to confirm his team when the striker chose to go out. There is no suggestion that Carew was drinking alcohol although he did arrive from Lyons last year with a reputation as an active socialiser.

While O’Neill expects Carew to come into consideration for the Barclays Premier League game away to Wigan Athletic tomorrow, any disciplinary action he may take is unclear and the manager will be looking to broaden his attacking options when the transfer window next opens in January.

Having been linked with a £7 million bid for Kevin Doyle, of Reading, O’Neill reiterated yesterday his admiration for Emile Heskey, who is due to lead the Wigan line against Villa, and refused to rule out making a move for a player whose contract runs out next summer and played under O’Neill at Leicester City almost a decade ago.

“When his confidence is high, he is a player,” the Villa manager said. “He’s strong, a handful, and he is now starting to go past players again. The thing that has always been levelled at him is that he has never scored enough goals, and it would be hard for him to say otherwise. But the Emile Heskey I know is the one who thundered past the full back and made the goal for Wayne Rooney [in England's 3-1 win over Belarus] the other day.

“If he does allow his contract to run out, he will have a number of suitors because he has done very well.”