Aston Villa female players have 'similar concerns' over Castore kit issues says Carla Ward

Villa's new home claret and blue shirts, made by British sportswear group Castore, noticeably change colour in games - although the away strip is also affected.

Castore are trying to find a solution to the problem, although that will not be achieved before this weekend as the men's team host Brighton in the Premier League on Saturday and Ward's side kick off their Women's Super League campaign at home to Manchester United the following day.

"I think we have similar concerns as to what the men have," manager Ward said about the kit issue at her pre-match press conference.

"It was highlighted early in the pre-season from the men's side and backed up by the women.

"But as far as I am concerned, it's over to the club and Castore to deal with it, my focus has to be the weekend and making sure the players are focused on that.

"One thing I will say is the club has been absolutely superb in these last few days.

"There's been a constant communication of how can we help the players and make them feel better.

"There's a genuine care from the football club. The players feel that, we feel that, and our focus is now solely on Manchester United."

Villa have expressed their concerns over the kit to Castore and the company is now trying to create a version that does not retain sweat.

On Wednesday, Villa men's team manager Unai Emery was asked about the shirts following his side's Carabao Cup defeat by Everton.

While he did not give a direct response to the question, Emery's translator did acknowledge "there is a situation".

Villa signed a multi-year contract with Castore - who also provide kits for Newcastle, Wolves and Rangers, as well as European teams such as Bayer Leverkusen and Sevilla - in May 2022.

A Castore spokesperson said: "There has been some media speculation about a potential issue in the football kit supplied by Castore to Aston Villa Football Club.

"We are working closely in collaboration with the club to address this issue as quickly as possible to meet the standards we expect. We would like to thank the club for their patience and support to date.

"As a proud new British brand, we always hold ourselves to the highest of standards and strive to do everything we can to constantly improve the performance of our products.

"This means addressing any customer concerns with promptness and humility."