NEVER mind the Super Bock beer being supped in Braga, ‘Villa Lite’ has been the tipple of the claret and blue faithful this summer whether they’ve liked it or not.

And now that the taster sessions are over, the ‘Villa Lite’ Challenge is coming soon to a Premier League ground near you.

It’s a bit like the old Pepsi Challenge, but instead of deciphering types of cola it’s all about deciding if the slimmed-down version of Villa’s squad is a competitive top-flight force or an under-equipped also-ran.

Having dished out a mixture of samples in the West Midlands, Hong Kong, East Midlands and now Portugal, Alex McLeish’s latest range goes live at Fulham’s Craven Cottage this weekend.

Only time will tell whether ‘Villa Lite’ is substantial enough to whet the appetite of Villa fans or whether there are insufficient ingredients for the team and its supporters to stay refreshed all season. But the time for experimenting with the recipe has gone. McLeish must go with what he’s got when the main event kicks off and hope it hits the spot and quenches the fans’ thirst for progress.

At least a dash of Charles N’Zogbia has given ‘Villa Lite’ an extra kick ahead of their first serious sampling session on Saturday.

Maybe Villa could yet be re-branded 11-Up (like in the Martin O’Neill days) because there are signs that the first XI is strong enough to give many of their top-flight rivals a game.

The line-up selected for the final friendly in Braga was as close as damn it to McLeish’s preferred team (with possible changes at centre-half and left wing) and they achieved an encouraging draw against the Europa League finalists.

But, in the Estadio Axa venue, which has several levels built beneath the pitch, it was Villa’s lack of depth which again gave cause for concern on Saturday evening, especially with McLeish already sweating on the fitness of star striker Darren Bent and key defender James Collins with Premier-ready replacements at a premium for Villa in both positions.

There is still the feeling that injuries, suspensions, fall-outs, loss of form or all of the above could leave Villa worryingly exposed when the summer makes way for a potentially long, hard winter.

But those fears must be put aside for another day. McLeish is genuinely excited and optimistic about his team, even though he admits it is difficult to gauge their Premier prospects from a series of friendlies.

Despite the mixed results and performances of pre-season, there is no doubt Villa’s preparations five days before the start of this season are preferable to the same stage exactly a year ago tomorrow when O’Neill petulantly walked out on the club, taking all of his backroom staff with him.