Villa trio expected to be fit

Aston Villa are set to be boosted by the availability of captain Stiliyan Petrov, central defender Richard Dunne and full-back Stephen Warnock for Sunday’s Barclays Premier League showdown against arch rivals Birmingham City at St Andrew’s.

The trio were all injured in Villa’s 2-0 win at Hull City on Wednesday. Bulgaria international midfielder Petrov has been under treatment for a groin problem that forced him off in the closing stages against Hull.