Cleared Drobny set for Villa trial

Czech defender Vaclav Drobny will be looking forward to a stress-free trial with Aston Villa after a traumatic 2003/04 campaign during which he tested positive for morphine.

Drobny, who David O’Leary will watch at close quarters during Villa’s tour of Sweden later this month, was cleared of a doping offence last December despite the painkilling drug appearing in a random post-match test.

His lawyers successfully argued that the morphine had materialised as a product of using the legal drug codeine, and Drobny was cleared to play on for his club, Strasbourg.

The 23-year-old was told by the French Football Federation’s deputy director general Jean Lapeyre that he was in the clear.

“There was no intention of doping but just use of an everyday medicine,” said Lapeyre.

But the episode was unfortunate and the giant centre-back’s form was affected.

Capped twice by the Czech Republic, he made 25 appearances for Strasbourg last season, his second with the Alsatian club since joining from Chmel Blsany in a £700,000 (€1.04m) deal.

Despite missing out on selection to Karel Bruckner’s Euro 2004 squad, the 6ft 4in player is expected to feature during the qualification campaign for the 2006 World Cup.