Villa's Ashley Westwood is ready for Stoke

Midfielder Ashley Westwood today continued Aston Villa's Premier League countdown by insisting: "We are ready for the Potters."

Villa open with a trip to Stoke on Saturday and Westwood insists the players are excited about the new season, despite many predicting Paul Lambert's men will struggle.

He said: "Pre-season has been really good. We have really got our fitness up and we're ready for the season. We are fully prepared.

"Now all the pre-season is out of the way and it is really business time. The media and the fans are up for it and we are too.

"This is what being a footballer is all about – looking forward to the weekend."

Villa have endured a miserable few seasons fighting at the wrong end of the Premier League table, and are being tipped by bookmakers and punters alike to be in a relegation scrap again this season.

Following the Stoke game, they entertain Newcastle United and Hull City before travelling to Anfield to face Liverpool.

Meanwhile, Villa hope to tie up a deal for Colombia midfielder Carlos Sanchez in the next 48 hours.

Speculation mounted in Spain where he failed to train with club side Elche.