Sun 24th May - Villa Park
Last updated: 8th October 2008
Sidwell: Back to fitness
Steve Sidwell has set his sights on making his return to action in Aston Villa's clash with Portsmouth next week.
The summer signing from Chelsea has yet to make his Premier League debut for Villa after suffering calf and knee injuries.
Sidwell is back in full training and he came through a behind-closed-doors friendly with Leicester City on Tuesday.
The 25-year-old is now hoping to be available to Martin O'Neill for the game with Portsmouth in 10 days.
"I've been training now for a while but I needed some games," Sidwell told the Birmingham Mail.
"Yesterday was the first so it probably showed. I just need a few more games and then I can get back into the swing of things.
"But it has happened. I've been mentally strong and I'm back now. I feel fine and fully fit and I am really looking forward to getting out there and getting among it.
"There are games there to play and there's fitness there to recover so if it goes well hopefully I will be in the manager's thoughts for the Portsmouth game.
"But saying that the lads have been doing terrifically - not just in the midfield but everyone - so it's going to be tough to get in there. I will just have to bide my time and get on with it."

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| Time | Fixture |
|---|---|
| Saturday 18th July | |
| Friendly Match | |
| 15:00 | Peterborough vs Aston Villa |
| Tuesday 21st July | |
| Friendly Match | |
| 19:45 | Colchester vs Aston Villa |
| Saturday 25th July | |
| Friendly Match | |
| 21:30 | Aston Villa vs Malaga |
| Wednesday 29th July | |
| Friendly Match | |
| 19:30 | Aston Villa vs Atlante |
| Tuesday 4th August | |
| Friendly Match | |
| 19:45 | Oxford Utd vs Aston Villa |
| Saturday 8th August | |
| Friendly Match | |
| 15:00 | Aston Villa vs Fiorentina |
| Saturday 15th August | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Aston Villa vs Wigan |
| Saturday 22nd August | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Liverpool vs Aston Villa |
| Saturday 29th August | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Aston Villa vs Fulham |
| Saturday 12th September | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Birmingham vs Aston Villa |
| Saturday 19th September | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Aston Villa vs Portsmouth |
| Saturday 26th September | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Blackburn vs Aston Villa |
| Saturday 3rd October | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Aston Villa vs Man City |
| Time | Result |
|---|---|
| Sunday 24th May | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Aston Villa 1 - 0 Newcastle | |
| Saturday 16th May | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Middlesbrough 1 - 1 Aston Villa | |
| Saturday 9th May | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Fulham 3 - 1 Aston Villa | |
| Monday 4th May | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Aston Villa 1 - 0 Hull | |
| Saturday 25th April | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Bolton 1 - 1 Aston Villa | |
| Saturday 18th April | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Aston Villa 1 - 1 West Ham | |
| Sunday 12th April | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Aston Villa 3 - 3 Everton | |
| Sunday 5th April | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Man Utd 3 - 2 Aston Villa | |
| Sunday 22nd March | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Liverpool 5 - 0 Aston Villa | |
| Sunday 15th March | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Aston Villa 1 - 2 Tottenham | |
| Wednesday 4th March | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Man City 2 - 0 Aston Villa | |
| Sunday 1st March | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Aston Villa 2 - 2 Stoke | |
| Thursday 26th February | |
| Europa League | |
| CSKA Moscow 2 - 0 Aston Villa | |
| Saturday 21st February | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Aston Villa 0 - 1 Chelsea | |
| Wednesday 18th February | |
| Europa League | |
| Aston Villa 1 - 1 CSKA Moscow | |
| Sunday 15th February | |
| The FA Cup sponsored by E.ON | |
| Everton 3 - 1 Aston Villa | |
| Saturday 7th February | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Blackburn 0 - 2 Aston Villa | |
| Wednesday 4th February | |
| The FA Cup sponsored by E.ON | |
| Aston Villa 3 - 1 Doncaster | |
| Saturday 31st January | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Aston Villa 0 - 0 Wigan | |
| Tuesday 27th January | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Portsmouth 0 - 1 Aston Villa | |
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Aston Villa | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Birmingham City | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Blackburn Rovers | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Bolton Wanderers | 0 | 0 |
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