Villa manager Martin O’Neill has insisted all of his squad will have their part to play over the festive period.

O’Neill has named an unchanged line-up for Villa’s last four games with Hull, Manchester United, Sunderland and Stoke and has been rewarded with maximum points, propelling the claret and blues into fourth position.

But, with a hectic run of fixtures coming up which includes crunch games with Arsenal and Liverpool in the space of three days, O’Neill admits his team will have to rotate to avoid fatigue setting in.

He said: “To go to Old Trafford and win, then travel to Sunderland to win there and then beat Stoke was great, because we’ve gone in with the same team and subs each time.

“I have really good faith in the players. The players want to play for a start. Imagine asking James Milner if he wants to rest up for Arsenal, he wouldn’t have it!

“Nor would Ashley Young or any of the players. But I did think about it. We have one or two fresh players around so it’s definitely something to look at.

“I am quite sure we will utilise the players in that period. I bet one or two things will be enforced on us with injuries and suspensions.

“No-one would have foreseen last year that Martin Laursen would only play one more game for us after Christmas.”

O’Neill’s decision to stick with the same side has left the likes of Steve Sidwell, Nigel Reo-Coker, Fabian Delph, John Carew and James Collins sat on the sidelines in recent weeks.

Carew came off the bench to score the winner in Saturday’s 1-0 win over the Potters after replacing the injured Emile Heskey, and seems certain to start at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

The manager said: “I still have faith in the other players. I know that Gabby Agbonlahor has been a constant for us. I think he has deserved that because he has been fantastic.

“I’ve got James Collins who has been brilliant since he arrived here, but I didn’t change it around to accommodate him because Carlos Cuellar and Richard Dunne have been terrific.”

O’Neill concedes it’s a precarious position to find himself in a precarious position, with his current first choice XI delivering the goods.

He added: “Even those people who have been doing it for a long time, like Sir Alex Ferguson, still tell you that it is a fine balancing act to get it right.

“You will get players still telling you that they are fine but there’s that bit of tiredness. You take each case on its own merits and then you make some decisions on it.”