ON-LOAN Tyrone Mings said he was “awfully sorry” after an incident which left Reading’s Nelson Oliveira with a gruesome facial wound.

The defender, making his Aston Villa debut after switching from Cherries on deadline day, caught the head of the Portuguese forward with his boot as the pair tussled for the ball at Madejski Stadium.

With blood pouring from the face of Oliveira, he had to be substituted and was taken to hospital.

Mings immediately called on referee Geoff Eltringham to stop the contest so Oliveira could receive treatment and later expressed sympathy via Twitter.

The 25-year-old tweeted: “Feel awfully sorry to Oliveira, I hope he is ok.”

Mings helped Villa secure a 0-0 draw alongside former Cherries skipper Tommy Elphick.

He added: “Absolutely loved wearing the claret and blue and over the moon with the clean sheet."

Commenting on Mings’s performance, Villa boss Dean Smith said: “I thought he was excellent.

“He was comfortable on the ball, accomplished, and is the player I expected.

“I am really pleased we have him. Him and Tommy played well together and gave us a solid base.”