Aston Villa captain Stiliyan Petrov would be happy for midfield duo to stay

Jul 29 2010 by Mat Kendrick, Birmingham Mail

STILIYAN Petrov is loathe to lose Nigel Reo-Coker and Steve Sidwell, insisting Villa’s midfield outcasts still have a part to play.

Reo-Coker has been a regular starter during the claret and blues’ pre-season campaign, while Sidwell made his first appearance in Tuesday’s win at Walsall.

But, although the out-of-favour central duo have jetted off to Portugal for Guadiana Cup duty, they are still available for transfer if clubs meet Villa’s asking prices.

Petrov admits players leaving is inevitable as manager Martin O’Neill’s strives to improve his squad on an annual basis.

But the Villa skipper believes Reo-Coker and Sidwell will still give their all for the club even if outward moves fail to materialise.

And the Bulgarian midfielder hopes it is possible for his unwanted deputies to prove O’Neill wrong and secure a future at Villa Park.