Martin O’Neill has revealed his frustration at Villa’s gruelling away schedule – despite tonight’s trip to West Ham offering them a chance to go fourth.

The visit to Upton Park, rearranged from August due to Villa’s ill-fated Europa League play-off first leg with Rapid Vienna, will be O’Neill’s side’s fourth away trip in just 10 days after last Tuesday’s Carling Cup trek to Sunderland was sandwiched between league games at Wolves and Everton.

Victory for seventh-placed Villa would see them leapfrog Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester City to move into the final Champions League berth.

But, after such a rigorous run, O’Neill admits tonight’s game has not come at an ideal time for his team.

“I’ll be glad when it ends,” said O’Neill. “By the time we set foot in Villa Park on Saturday (to face Bolton) it will be three weeks since we played there. We have had a lot of away matches.

“I accept the game was postponed because we were playing in Europe. The Premier League like to play the games as quickly as possible but I wouldn’t be totally sure it was the most convenient day for us.”

O’Neill continued: “The Carling Cup draw at Sunderland made it four consecutive away games.

“The Premier League might turn round and say ‘that’s a different competition, there’s nothing we can do about that’. But three away from home on the trot is tough – particularly on the away supporters.”