O'Neill shrugs off Mellberg comments

Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill is set to recall Olof Mellberg for Saturday’s clash at Manchester United despite the Juventus-bound defender saying he is glad to be moving to a club who will be challenging for honours.

Mellberg has been a rock-solid performer for Villa during the past seven years but the closest he came to lifting a trophy was a league cup semi-final appearance four years ago.

And the Sweden international said this week when on duty for his country: “I’ll be joining a real top club who can, and wants, to fight for titles.

“With all due respect to Aston Villa, they’ve never had the possibility to challenge in that way.”

But O’Neill is confident Mellberg will continue to be professional in his approach until he leaves Villa at the end of the season.

He will return at right-back at Old Trafford after suspension in place of Craig Gardner, who will be out for up to three weeks with a thigh injury suffered when on duty for England Under-21s.

O’Neill said: “I haven’t seen Olof’s comments. What happens when players go away on international duty is they get asked about their clubs and there’s always some sort of story.

“But I have no problem whatsoever with Olof playing in the games for us. He came back to play against Portsmouth and got himself sent off but that was the first time that’s happened in his Villa career.”

O’Neill has also hinted he may keep faith with on-loan keeper Scott Carson despite a shaky performance in the shock home defeat by Sunderland last weekend.

He said: “After 20 months here, people know me well enough to know I won’t give out the team. But I will say there’s not a player that has ever played professional football at any stage that has been consistent in every game they have played.

“We as a football team just have to improve to win a game.”

O’Neill is still hoping to challenge for a European spot despite Villa having collected only two points from their last four games.

He said: “No-one has been able to produce anything recently. Everton have only picked up one point from two games at a time when they were challenging Liverpool, who themselves have just been beaten by Manchester United.

“We’re still trying to look after ourselves and, if we can do that, we’ll still be up there at the end of the season.

“We’ve got seven games left, we’re on 49 points, which means we’re not a phenomenal distance away from the other teams and it’s still worth chasing.”