Heskey tipped to be the man

Stewart Downing is expecting Emile Heskey to provide the goals for Aston Villa after his recent winner.
Heskey made his comeback last weekend against West Brom, having been sidelined for six weeks with a knee injury.
The former England striker duly pounced to score the winner and Downing is predicting his impact in the remainder of the season will be significant.
"It was good to get Emile back in the team and back on the scoresheet," Downing told the club'sofficial website.
"Emile is a big player for us - a massive player. Just look at him holding the ball up.
"He was making it hard for defenders and that sort of thing takes the pressure off the rest of the team.
"He holds it up and brings players into the game. He's a great player and great to play with.
"I am just pleased he got a goal because it will give him the confidence to kick on."
Wigan v Aston Villa 1st Goalscorer: Heskey, E. 6/1
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Carson targets Wolves win

Scott Carson is adamant West Bromwich Albion's confidence will not be affected by the derby defeat at Aston Villa.
The Baggies were beaten 2-1 at Villa Park on Saturday and face another local derby this coming weekend when Wolves visit The Hawthorns.
Carson believes West Brom were unlucky to lose against Villa, with Paul Scharner scoring a late consolation following goals from Stewart Downing and Emile Heskey.
The West Brom captain is looking forward to facing Wolves and believes the players will be in a positive frame of mind for the game.
"We were definitely the better side against Villa and it was a massive injustice we never got anything out of the game," said Carson.
"We're gutted, but we're not going to let our confidence drop.
"We're going to play the same against Wolves as we have been and hope it will be good enough.
"We know it's going to be a tough game and it's all about the result."
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Houllier has no Villa regrets

Gerard Houllier is confident he did not make a mistake in returning to the Premier League to take over as Aston Villa manager.
The Frenchman replaced Martin O'Neill as Villa boss in September, but has won only three Premier League games to leave his team 14th in the table.
There have also been reports of rows with Richard Dunne and Stephen Ireland, and Houllier also upset Villa fans with his comments following last week's 3-0 defeat at his former club Liverpool.
Houllier left Liverpool in 2004 and, after returning to English football six years later, the 63-year-old does not regret his decision to come back.
"This job (football management) is 80% aggravation, difficulty, problems, every day, every minute," said Houllier.
"The other 20% is great, with all the emotions, but a different world. That is why we do this job.
"It is the love of the game. I am 63 and I'm here. It must be because I like the club, I like the project of the club, I like the players."
Houllier added: "When I won't be able to do it, I'll let you know!
"What is easy in life? Perhaps I was born for that (challenge). I am getting a bit older, so I don't get fired up as much as before.
"But I am still keen to keep on going and to do well. There are no thoughts of me making a mistake returning to Premier League management. No, no, no."
Barclays Prem Top 6 Finish 10/11 Win Outright: Aston Villa 11/2
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Houllier defends dropping duo

Aston Villa boss Gerard Houllier has defended his decision to leave Richard Dunne and Stephen Ireland out of his side that beat West Brom.
Dunne was relegated to the bench and stripped of the captaincy amid reports of a training ground bust-up with Villa assistant manager Gary McAllister.
Ireland was left out of the squad altogether with the player reportedly set to hold talks with Houllier over his future later this week.
Houllier has moved to justify his decision to leave out the pair, saying he is only focused on doing what is best for the team.
"My job is to take decisions, no? I'm not here to please the players, I'm here to please the fans and the club," said Houllier.
"Listen, this is a team thing. I mean, we are not playing tennis."
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Houllier backing Hodgson

Ahead of his return to Liverpool Gerard Houllier has backed current boss Roy Hodgson.
Houllier had six highly successful years at Anfield, winning half-a-dozen trophies and leaving the bulk of the side which won the UEFA Champions League in 2005.
However, things at Anfield right now look a long way from how the Frenchman left the club - but he thinks Hodgson, who was appointed in the summer, will get things right.
"I am sure he will turn it around at Liverpool," said Houllier, whose Aston Villa side travel to Merseyside on Monday evening - a match you can see live on Sky Sports HD1.
"He will do it. No problem. Give him a bit of time.
"He needs to change a few things. The problem is at Liverpool, when you lose, it's a crisis."
Houllier revealed that he is good friends with the Liverpool boss.
"Roy is a great pal of mine, he has been a good friend for a long time," he continued.
"We first met when he was coach at Malmo and I was at Paris St Germain and we had an indoor tournament.
"It has gone on from there. It was a League Managers' meeting where I saw him again - but we meet several times in a year.
"I don't think we have ever managed teams that have played against one another before."
Following his time on Merseyside, Houllier remains a firm follower of the Reds.
"There is far more pressure than here (at Villa). But the board were patient, they knew we had to reconstruct and we did. Each year you try to build," he said.
"I always think the mission of a manager is three-fold.
"The first one is to win a trophy and have silverware and win titles and so on - and we did that.
"The second one is to leave a legacy. I would just use my former chairman's words. He said 'you put the club into the 21st century' which it needed, maybe at the time.
"The legacy is the team because the team that was left with Rafa (Benitez) won the Champions League the following year.
"We also had new facilities and maybe a new style of professionalism I would say.
"I think the third mission of a manager is to make your players improve.
"We had a Ballon d'Or with Michael Owen and Steven Gerrard is a world-class
international player.
"All the players, whether it was Danny Murphy, Emile Heskey, Stephane Henchoz or Sami Hyypia, all did well, contributed and became better players."
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No more excuses for Dunne

Richard Dunne insists Aston Villa cannot continue blaming bad luck for their disappointing season.
Gerard Houllier has struggled since taking charge of Villa in September and the club currently sit 15th in the Premier League after taking only six points in their last six matches.
To make matters worse, Villa were sent crashing out of the Carling Cup in midweek by Second City derby rivals Birmingham.
Houllier takes his team to his former club, Liverpool, on Monday and, ahead of the trip to Anfield, Dunne knows that Villa must stop claiming misfortune.
The defender said in the Daily Mirror: "We have dropped off in the league and gone out in the cup to our local rivals so for us it has been a very disappointing season so far.
"Everyone is really low and disappointed. Hopefully this is the lowest point of our season and from here we can turn it around.
"Things have to change because we can't just keep saying we're unlucky. Everything that can go wrong seems to be going wrong. Even in training, people are getting injured or turning up sick.
"We're not getting the rub of the green at the moment. We're playing quite well and not getting the result.
"But we have to go out and put in performances on the pitch. Whether we are lucky or not, we have to win games.
"The position that we are in looks bad and we're close to the relegation zone but we're only six points off the top six so the season is still wide open for us but we can't keep waiting for it.
"We believe we can be in the top six or seven but it's alright believing we've got to start doing it.
"In the meantime, we just have to knuckle down."
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Reo-Coker nearing return

Aston Villa manager Gerard Houllier has confirmed that midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker could return to action in two weeks' time.
The 26-year-old has been on the sidelines of late with a knee problem, forcing him to miss the club's last four matches.
Reo-Coker was the club's temporary captain with Stiliyan Petrov on the sidelines, although Richard Dunne has been skipper of late.
Houllier has now confirmed that Reo-Coker is running again and he feels he could be available for selection in a fortnight.
"Nigel has done some running," stated Houllier. "Maybe in two weeks, he'll be back."
Birmingham 11/8, Aston Villa 2/1, Draw 9/4
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Agbonlahor trimming down

Gerard Houllier has called on Gabriel Agbonlahor to lay off the gym work in an effort to recapture his best form.
The Aston Villa striker has struggled with a number of injuries over recent years, forcing him into rehabilitation on a regular basis.
He has, however, taken the physical exertions a bit too far in the opinion of his boss, with his extra muscle only serving to slow him down.
Agbonlahor is renowned for his electric pace, so anything that infringes on that needs to be addressed.
Houllier hopes Villa have done just that, with the Frenchman confident the England man can be a major player for him this season when in the right shape.
He said: "He's not in the gym now. When you build up too much it affects your joints and muscles.
"The fact is I think he should stop, he's too stocky. I have told him to lay off the weights. Sometimes players do too much.
"The Gabby I saw when I was in France was different to what I see here.
"He was thinner, more wiry and, wow, quick."
Houllier put his faith in Agbonlahor when he offered him a new contract in November and is convinced that bit of business will benefit Villa in the long run.
He added: "Gabby has to deliver now. He's shown that, in terms of speed and goalscoring, he has qualities of a high level.
"Unfortunately for him, he's had injuries. He needs a succession of games."
Birmingham v Aston Villa 1st Goalscorer: Agbonlahor, G. 7/1
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Warnock - We need a win

Stephen Warnock admits Aston Villa need to get back to winning ways as soon as possible.
Warnock revealed that harsh words were exchanged in the dressing following their 4-2 loss to Arsenal at the weekend.
Villa have now dropped to 15th in the league under Gerard Houllier and Warnock insists the team are anxious to recapture their form.
"There were harsh words from the lads," said Warnock. "As we came in at half-time we knew it wasn't good enough.
"People were shouting at each other and trying to say as much as they could to try and get back into the game.
"It is a tough time because we have lost a couple on the spin but we have to be strong mentally now."
Villa face local rivals Birmingham City in the Carling Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday and Warnock is hoping they can use that game to rekindle their form.
"When you have been beaten you want to play any game as quickly as possible and try and get back on the field," he continued.
"The fact it is a derby it is a massive game. Getting one over your local rivals is a nice feeling and we will be hoping to do that.
"Getting to the final last year was a fantastic achievement but it was also one of the most disappointing days of the season.
"We came away from it with nothing but heartbreak so it means nothing to you. You can't turn around and say: 'I played in a cup final'.
"Someone will then ask: 'how did you get on?' and you can't turn around and say: 'we got beat'.
"It means nothing as it is winning that matters. So the lads want to get back there and put it right.
"We want to win and we want to celebrate after it but first things first we have to get through this round."
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Downing wants new faces

Aston Villa winger Stewart Downing is hoping Gerard Houllier brings in five new faces in the transfer window.
Villa have blown hot and cold since the Frenchman took the reins of the club, and currently sit 13th in the Premier League table.
Midfielder Downing is the Midlanders' top scorer this season with five goals to his name, as Villa have been hit with a string of injuries.
Houllier has had to turn to youth this term and Gabriel Agbonlahor is the only fully-fit senior striker, although John Carew played for the reserves in midweek.
On the forwards at the club, Downing told Sky Sports: "We've got one (experienced) striker at the moment in Gabby and he has just come back from injury.
"It would be unfair to put a lot of pressure on young Nathan (Delfouneso) to manage right through the season.
"If you look at things, as they are at the moment, I would say we probably do need a striker.
"But we probably need four or five players, not just a striker."
Villa host Arsenal at the weekend, and Downing wants the team to put in a performance similar to the one against Manchester United earlier in the month.
He added: "I think we need to play as we did against Manchester United and with a bit of luck, we will get results.
"The lads are still confident. It is not as if we have been playing poorly and losing.
"We have been playing well. We just need to kill teams off.
"We know what we are going to get from Arsenal. They pass it around and make it difficult for you.
"But we have got to concentrate on our own game and, on our day, we can beat anyone."
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Downing - Tough on Wheater

Stewart Downing admits former team-mate David Wheater could be forced to leave Middlesbrough.
Teessider Downing departed his home-town club last year for Aston Villa, and Wheater has been linked with the same move in January.
Wheater is out of contract at the end of the season, and although Boro have confirmed they would like to see him stay, they may have to sell.
Boro are looking highly unlikely to mount any sort of challenge to return to the Premier League and, as such, they may not be able to afford to keep Wheater and could see him move for free in the summer.
And Downing admits that no matter what happens, it will not be easy for Redcar-born Wheater.
"I wanted to play for Boro in the Premier League and be successful, I always said that," Downing admitted.
"We were doing quite well for a while and, looking back, I think we were a little bit unlucky to be relegated.
"We had a few injuries and things like that and couldn't quite get over the line.
"We got relegated and I wanted to play at the highest level but it was hard to leave.
"Knowing Wheats, he'll want to stay, 100%. But he might be forced to move.
"The club may be forced to accept an offer because he's out of contract in the summer.
"I would think the new manager will have to raise cash if he wants to strengthen the team in January."
Downing has not doubts that Wheater, who has previously been called up by England, will not be short of admirers.
"He's good on the ball and in the air and has got a couple of seasons in the Premier League under his belt, so there'll be no shortage of interest in Wheats," Downing continued.
"I'm sure teams will be keeping an eye on the situation but I think he might want to stay.
"There was talk of him coming to Villa when I came here and he was also linked with Everton but I don't think the chairman wanted to sell both of us at the same time.
"He will want to play at the highest level but I don't think he'll want to leave Teesside.
"He'll also be thinking 'I've had a taste of England and I want it again'. He'll want to do that with Boro but it's going to be hard for the club to go up this season."
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Albrighton out for up to month

Aston Villa v Arsenal
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Click here to remote recordAston Villa are set to be without midfielder Marc Albrighton for up to four weeks following an appendix operation.
The 21-year-old has put in impressive performances this term but fell ill ahead of Sunday's 2-0 defeat at Blackburn.
He was subsequently diagnosed with appendicitis and has now gone under the surgeon's knife.
A statement on the club's official website confirmed: "Marc Albrighton has undergone an operation to remove his appendix, which will rule him out of action for three to four weeks."
The academy product has enjoyed a breakthrough season at Villa Park, emerging as a regular in manager Gerard Houllier's first team.
His impressive performances were rewarded earlier this month when he penned a contract extension until 2014.
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Carew boost for Villa

Aston Villa striker John Carew stepped up his bid for a first-team return by playing for the reserves on Monday.
Carew has been sidelined with a calf problem since last month's derby draw with Birmingham City, but is now edging nearer to a return.
The Norway international played for just over an hour in the reserves' 1-1 draw with West Brom and could be in contention for a first-team recall against Arsenal at the weekend.
The 31-year-old has struggled for form and fitness this season, and has yet to score in seven Premier League appearances.
He had been troubled by a back injury prior to his calf problem and his impending return will be a timely boost for manager Gerard Houllier.
With Emile Heskey injured, Gabriel Agbonlahor is the only senior fit striker for Villa, with youngster Nathan Delfouneso providing the support in recent games.
Monday's reserve-team encounter also saw Robert Pires play for an hour after the veteran Frenchman had made his Villa debut as a substitute in Sunday's 2-0 defeat at Blackburn.
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Pedersen vanquishes Villa

Man of the match: Morten Gamst Pedersen's delivery from set-pieces caused Villa massive problems, and his two goals capped off a fine performance.
Goal of the game: Brad Friedel won't be happy with his role in it, but Pedersen's first goal on the stroke of half-time was a devilish free-kick whipped in from the right at pace, with sufficient dip and swerve to bamboozle the former Blackburn keeper.
Save of the game: Paul Robinson made a handful of decent stops, but was at his best when diving full-length and getting a strong hand on Ashley Young's fizzing low cross-shot in the first half.
Moment of the match: Blackburn's best route to goal always appeared to be from set-pieces, yet Villa conceded a stack of needless first-half free-kicks in and around their own box and finally paid the penalty in stoppage time when Stephen Warnock needlessly chopped down El-Hadji Diouf moments after an aerial clash between the pair.
Talking Point: Blackburn's new owners appeared on the pitch pre-match and this victory makes it three wins from four for Blackburn. They're now up to mid-table - above today's opponents. How high can they climb in a congested Premier League table?
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Morten Gamst Pedersen's brace saw Blackburn beat Aston Villa 2-0 to leapfrog their opponents in the table.
Pedersen opened the scoring with a free-kick from a tight angle on the right on the stroke of half-time.
The Norwegian scored in exactly the same way against Wigan at Ewood Park recently and repeated the trick to leave Villa keeper Brad Friedel blushing.
Villa started brightly after the break and Ashley Young hit the crossbar before Pedersen notched his second on 66 minutes when directing Ryan Nelsen's shot into the net from an El-Hadji Diouf corner.
Villa boss Gerard Houllier introduced Robert Pires for his debut and the visitors pressed late on but Blackburn held on to rise to 11th in the table.
Venkateshwara and Balaji Rao, the directors of new Blackburn owners Venky's, came on to the pitch to greet the club's fans before kick-off and received warm applause.
Once things got under way Rovers' players seemed eager to please the new owners as well, with Jason Roberts sending a dangerous ball into the box in the opening few minutes that was cleared away.
The home side then won a free-kick just outside the area which was laid to Christopher Samba, only for the captain to skew his effort wide.
Villa went on the attack almost immediately after, though, and Paul Robinson did well to save Stewart Downing's low drive with his feet.
The visitors went close again when Barry Bannan drilled wide and Robinson was called into action once more around the quarter-hour mark, pushing Ashley Young's shot away after the England winger had tied Michel Salgado in knots.
Blackburn regained possession and former Rovers defender Stephen Warnock made a great intervention to take the ball away from Roberts as he bore down on goal.
Gael Givet then sliced an attempt over the bar after a failed clearance by Villa.
Allardyce's team were starting to impose themselves a little more and Pedersen's dead-ball deliveries began to cause problems, Roberts meeting one free-kick but was unable to keep his header down.
El-Hadji Diouf got his header closer to the target four minutes before the break but Friedel claimed it and Stephen Ireland nodded over at the other end.
Rovers then snatched the lead just before the interval through another Pedersen free-kick, the midfielder curling a strike perfectly just over Friedel, who flapped at the ball and should have done better.
Having brought on Pascal Chimbonda for Givet at half-time, Rovers found themselves almost immediately under pressure after the restart as Ashley Young had one shot palmed away by Robinson and then saw his header come back off the crossbar.
Play switched though, and Roberts lashed one wild effort high and wide before picking out Phil Jones, who beat one man but could only fire into Friedel's arms.
Pedersen unleashed another dangerous free-kick which several of his team-mates were just unable to get on the end of and then Roberts put Diouf through, but Richard Dunne did just enough to ensure Friedel could deal with the Senegalese forward's shot.
The hosts appeared to be threatening another goal and in the 66th minute it duly arrived, Pedersen again providing the finish after getting his foot to Nelsen's drive following a scramble at a corner.
Villa boss Houllier responded by bringing on Pires in place of Ireland, the French veteran making his first Premier League appearance since 2006.
Diouf had a chance to make it 3-0 but headed over and Robinson did well again to deny Downing.
Nathan Delfouneso then came on for the ineffective Gabriel Agbonlahor, while Allardyce withdrew Pedersen, sending on Herold Goulon for his debut.
Delfouneso was unable to get any direction on a header soon after and Ashley Young protested that Jones had handled in the box.
His appeal was waved away by referee Michael Oliver, though, and Rovers hung on to secure the three points.
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Blackburn v Villa preview

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Blackburn and Aston Villa have seen plenty of each other in the last year or so and meet again on Sunday.
The two sides have met on six occasions since the start of last season, twice in the league, three times in the Carling Cup and once in the FA Cup.
Rovers would appear to have the edge heading into the latest encounter, as they have emerged successful in the two Premier League fixtures.
They have, however, come unstuck on each occasion in the cup, proving Villa know what it takes to see off Sam Allardyce's side.
Blackburn, though, will also have home advantage on their side this weekend, and will be looking to build on their victory over Wigan a fortnight ago.
That was their first victory at Ewood Park in four attempts, but their record in front of their own supporters still makes for impressive reading.
They have suffered only six defeats in 36 home games under Allardyce, although the first of those setbacks did come against Villa.
Villa currently sit inside the Premier League's top 10, but they have struggled to grind out results under Gerard Houllier.
They are unbeaten in their last four top flight fixtures, but only two wins have been secured under the guidance of their French tactician since he took charge back in September.
The Midlands outfit have also managed just one victory in their last seven away games, suggesting they have issues to address on the road.
Australian midfielder Brett Emerton is a major doubt for Blackburn.
He suffered a hamstring injury on international duty in Egypt in midweek and will be given a late fitness test.
Emerton joins a lengthy injury list including Benjani Mwaruwari (hamstring), Vince Grella (Achilles), Keith Andrews (groin), Martin Olsson (calf) and Steven Nzonzi (hamstring). El-Hadji Diouf should be fit after a hamstring problem while David Dunn is also in contention to start.
Robert Pires could make his Aston Villa debut after penning a six-month contract.
The French midfielder has declared himself fit enough to play some part against Rovers after training with former club Arsenal for the past two months.
Villa boss Gerard Houllier will check on the fitness of striker Gabriel Agbonlahor (shin), midfielder Ciaran Clark (calf) and central defender Richard Dunne (knee).
Blackburn: Robinson, Salgado, Nelsen, Samba, Givet, Chimbonda, Dunn, Jones, Pedersen, Roberts, Kalinic.
AstonVilla: Friedel, L Young, Collins, Dunne, Warnock, Albrighton, Bannan, Hogg, Downing, A Young, Agbonlahor.
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Villa complete Pires deal

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Frenchman Robert Pries has announced that he has joined Aston Villa on a contract until the end of the season.
After drawn-out talks at Villa's Bodymoor Heath training ground on Thursday, the 37-year-old former Arsenal midfielder has signed a six-month deal with Gerard Houllier's club having been released by Primera Liga outfit Villarreal in the summer.
Pires had been training with Arsenal in order to maintain fitness and as a result the 79-time France international could make his debut in Villa's Premier League trip to Blackburn on Sunday, which can be seen live on Sky Sports HD1/1, subject to international clearance.
Houllier had targeted the free agent in a bid to solve Villa's injury problems in midfield and his compatriot is now looking forward to the challenge after being identified as an ideal, experienced solution.
Pires told Sky Sports News: "I start tomorrow morning with the team.
"For me, it is a good opportunity to work with Aston Villa. I am happy for the fans."
Asked how it feels to be back in English football, Pires said: "It is a good surprise. But I am very happy because I like English football."
He added: "I hope to play against Blackburn on Sunday."
Pires won two Premier League titles, three FA Cups and the 2002 Footballer of the Year prize during his six-year stay with Arsenal.
He told Villa's official website: "I am very happy to join Aston Villa because it's a big club in England.
"I am also thrilled to have the chance of working with Gerard Houllier. I know him.
Assistant manager Gary McAllister said: "He is a proven winner. It gets thrown around a lot these days when people say they are a winner but he is a genuine article.
"He's a European champion and he has won the World Cup as well. He has vast experience and was a fantastic player in the Premier League for Arsenal.
"People thought he was coming to the end of his career but he went to Villarreal and done well there for several seasons.
"For all the younger players - what a tremendous addition. The younger players can only learn from watching a guy like Robert on the training field.
"He will gain respect. But I am sure Robert Pires isn't coming here just to be a player that everyone is going to stand back and admire. He will want to gain the respect of the fact that he is still competitive and still able to do a job at this level."
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Pires ready for Villa bow

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Robert Pires has confirmed he is fit and ready to play for Aston Villa this weekend providing his move gets finalised in time.
The former Villarreal man has been training with Arsenal recently to improve his fitness after leaving the Spaniards over the summer.
Pires has now agreed to link up with compatriot Gerard Houllier in a bid to solve the club's current midfield crisis.
With the likes of Stiliyan Petrov and Nigel Reo-Coker on the sidelines, Houllier has been forced to blood some fresh faces.
Although the youngsters have acquitted themselves with distinction, the club's new manager is keen to add some experience to his squad.
Pires brings just that and believes he could even make his debut against Blackburn on Sunday as fitness is not an issue.
"It's no problem for me to play on Sunday," said Pires. "I've been training with Arsenal for two months and I'm happy and in good form.
"I just have to see Aston Villa's medical staff at the end of the week and, if I've signed, I hope to be part of the trip to Blackburn on Sunday."
Pires added: "Nothing's done yet, nothing's been signed, but the talks with Gerard Houllier are going well.
"Now let's say I just have to convince the team doctor and hopefully I will sign before the end of the week.
"The medical is set for Thursday or Friday, so we'll see first what happens in the last meeting with Gerard Houllier and everyone else from Aston Villa. Things are going well, though.
"It (the deal) would be for six months or longer, but there are still some things to sort out, although I assure everyone it's not in terms of finances."
Blackburn 5/4, Aston Villa 11/5, Draw 9/4
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Houllier admits Benzema interest

Gerard Houllier has admitted an interest in taking compatriot Karim Benzema to Aston Villa.
Houllier took charge at Villa Park in September and is weighing up potential targets for the January transfer window.
Benzema has failed to hold down a regular first-team role at Real Madrid since his big-money move from Lyon in the summer of 2009 and has been linked with the Villans.
The French striker scored eight goals in 27 appearances in his first season at the Bernabeu, although only 14 of those games were starts.
And little has changed following the arrival of new coach Jose Mourinho this summer, with Gonzalo Higuain impressing as a lone striker, scoring nine goals in 17 while Benzema has managed two in 15 - only four of which were starts.
The 22-year-old is preparing for France's friendly at Wembley on Wednesday night and Houllier, who was Benzema's club boss at Lyon between 2005 and 2007, has confirmed reports he would pounce at the possibility to lure him to England on a permanent basis.
"If Karim wants to come and play at Aston Villa, we would sign him tomorrow," said the former Liverpool boss.
Houllier is set to make former Arsenal midfielder Robert Pires his first signing at the club. The 37-year-old Frenchman is a free agent after being released by Villarreal at the end of last season.
However, Houllier has denied interest in joining up again with former Liverpool striker Michael Owen, who has struggled for regular action at Manchester United.
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Pires set to arrive at Villa

Aston Villa have confirmed that former Arsenal star Robert Pires will be joining the club later this week.
Manager Gerard Houllier has been in talks with his fellow Frenchman and the deal is expected to be completed before Sunday's trip to Blackburn, which can be seen live on Sky Sports HD1/1.
Pires is a free agent and has been training with Arsene Wenger's Arsenal after being released by Villarreal in the summer.
The 37-year-old won two Premier League titles, three FA Cups and the 2002 Footballer of the Year prize during his six-year stay with the Gunners.
And so Villa assistant boss Gary McAllister is looking forward to adding that calibre to a young squad, as he told his club's official website: "Robert has been training at Arsenal.
"I know the boss and Arsene Wenger are very friendly and I believe he's going to join us in the next two or three days.
"It's perfect. I am sure he will arrive at the training ground in good condition.
"He's a player everyone can look up to because of what he has achieved."
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Size not an issue for Bannan

Aston Villa starlet Barry Bannan says he is inspired by Barcelona, whose midfielders are all similar in size to him.
The diminutive midfielder is just 5ft 5in, but he is determined to prove he is big enough for the Premier League.
Bannan feels the likes of Xavi, Anders Iniesta and Lionel Messi show size does not matter.
"Look at the best players in the world. The world champions and Euro champions are Spain. All the midfielder players are 5ft 8ins maximum," said Bannan, who has just been called up to the full Scotland squad.
"The best players in the world are Xavi, Iniesta, Messi. They are all small. I've heard a lot of people say 'your height this, your height that'. But when you look at players like that it boosts your confidence. You think if he can do it then why can't I?
"I've always been small - tops didn't fit me at younger ages! But it has never affected me when I have stepped out on to the pitch and I don't see why it does now."
Bannan is one of number of Villa prospects getting a chance under new boss Gerard Houllier and he hopes that continues.
"We've had a great youth system over the years and hopefully a few of us can kick on," he added.
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