The Aston Villa starting XIs Steven Gerrard could pick for Molde

Aston Villa return to action when they play Norwegian side Molde in a friendly at Villa Park today (1pm).

The Premier League winter break and scheduling of the FA Cup fourth round has seen Villa fans go two weeks and counting without a game.

Steven Gerrard's side last played on January 22 when they won 1-0 at Everton and they do not play again, officially, until Wednesday when Leeds United welcome Villa to Elland Road for a re-arranged Premier League game.

In the the meantime Gerrard has used the extended break between games to work on the Bodymoor Heath training pitches with his players and the five new winter signings.

Villa have already played - and beaten - Brentford in a behind closed doors game in B6 this week and the Molde game will also be held in secret.

Here, BirminghamLive's Villa correspondent Ashley Preece looks at who Gerrard could field against Molde...

Aston Villa will host Norwegian side Molde at Villa Park on Saturday (February 5, 1pm) with Steven Gerrard's 'mini pre-season' continuing ahead of their Premier League return against Leeds United next week (February 9).

The head coach had set aside the last two-and-a-half weeks as an intense training period for Villa's squad "to really reset our identity in how we want the style to look, both in and out of possession".

Gerrard and his coaching staff of Mick Beale, Gary McAllister, Tom Culshaw, Aaron Danks and Austin MacPhee had been relatively pleased with their 11-game start following the head coach's big appointment back in November.

Villa, of course, beat Everton last time out thanks to a brilliantly-worked header from Emi Buendia who, this week, made his international debut for Argentina alongside fellow Villa teammate Emi Martinez.

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