Olly's Pre-Season Buzz

Olof Mellberg today warned his team-mates to pack their mosquito repellent as they prepare for the pre-season trip to Scandinavia.

After opening the tour with a game against Finnish outfit TPS Turku, Villa will set-up camp in Mellbergˇ¦s native Sweden ˇV in the northern city of Bodens to be precise.

And the classy defender, who is looking forward to the trip, believes the conditions will take many of his team-mates by surprise.

He commented: "Bodens is way up in the north, but it will be nice because I've never been there before.

"In the summer it's lovely but it'll be different for the English lads. It will probably be light for 24 hours and there'll be a lot of mosquitoes about, so the lads better be prepared."

Villaˇ¦s tour games: Tuesday 22nd July - FC TPS Turku v Aston Villa (Finland); Thursday 24th July - Pitea v Aston Villa (at Byske IF, Sweden); Saturday 26th July - Umea FC v Aston Villa (Sweden); Tuesday 29th July - Bodens BK v Aston Villa (Sweden).