Steve hopes talented target man plays to test his back four in the air

Steve Davis is hoping that Paul Lambert brings the majority of his first-team squad to face his own young Crewe Alexandra team this evening. Davis is especially hoping that Aston Villa’s top scorer Christian Benteke will get a run-out at Gresty Road as the talented target man will provide a stern test for his centre halves.

The big Belgian, Benteke, has recently committed his future to the club and will be looking to spearhead Aston Villa’s assault on the Premier League.

Ahead of tonight’s eagerly anticipated friendly, Steve told us: “I am sure Paul will be bringing a decent team. They have had a demanding pre-season with a trip to Germany and are building up.

“It will be great for our supporters to see top class players and for our players to test themselves against Premier League opposition. It is a challenge we are all looking forward to.

“I hope Benteke plays. He has really developed into a top class target man and has been prolific in what was his first season in the Premier League. He doesn’t miss much in the air and that is going to be a real test for our centre-halves.

  “If our players want to go on and progress then they have to perform against this level of opposition. It will be intriguing to see how they do.”