Independent: Defender Olof Mellberg has admitted Aston Villa are now facing an uphill task to qualify for Europe before he heads off to Juventus in the summer. Villa's disappointing 1-1 home draw with Middlesbrough on Wednesday means Martin O'Neill's side are seven points adrift of Everton and Liverpool with just nine Premier League games remaining. Tottenham's Carling Cup success and the failure of any of the 'big four' to reach the FA Cup semi-finals means Villa have to finish in the top five to achieve their European goal or be content with battling it out in the Intertoto Cup. "Can we qualify for Europe?" Mellberg considered. "We can, but it looks tough with the sort of form that Liverpool and Everton are in. It is going to be difficult. We are in the same position as four years ago when we came sixth and missed out on goal difference to Newcastle, when again only the first five in the Premier League qualified for Europe. "We need to give it a go. That's all we can do - put in better performances than against Middlesbrough and be a bit lucky with other results as well and then maybe we will have a chance. "We haven't been that consistent throughout the whole season but we have shown we are able to bounce back. We have one of the best records for coming back from a goal down."

Independent: The club have been linked with a late move for highly-rated Bournemouth striker Sam Vokes. Newcastle United were believed to be favourites to sign the 18-year-old, who has scored 10 goals in 24 matches for the Cherries this season, but Villa are said to be close to agreeing a £200,000 deal.

Times: Gareth Barry is glad the club are away tomorrow after the disappointment of Wednesday's 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough. "An away game straight away might be the way to put it right," the captain, who equalised with a penalty, said.

Sky Sports: Defender Olof Mellberg admits Aston Villa now face an uphill battle to qualify for Europe this season. With Tottenham winning the Carling Cup and none of the 'big four' in the running to win the FA Cup, only a top-five league finish will secure Villa a European place - unless they try to qualify through the Intertoto Cup in the summer. Wednesday's 1-1 draw at home to Middlesbrough left sixth-placed Villa seven points adrift of Everton and Liverpool, who are currently joint-fourth, with just nine games remaining. But Mellberg, who has already agreed a move to Juventus this summer, insists there is still hope.

Sporting Life: Defender Olof Mellberg has admitted Aston Villa are now facing an uphill task to qualify for Europe before he heads to Juventus in the summer. Villa's disappointing 1-1 home draw with Middlesbrough means Martin O'Neill's side are seven points adrift of Everton and Liverpool with just nine games remaining. Tottenham's Carling Cup success and the failure of any of the 'big four' to reach the FA Cup semi-finals means Villa have to finish in the top five to achieve their European goal or be content with battling it out in the Intertoto Cup. And they face a stiff test on Saturday to avoid losing further ground on the two Merseyside clubs when they visit on-song Portsmouth who defeated Birmingham on Wednesday after reaching the FA Cup semi-finals by winning at Manchester United. Mellberg said: "Can we qualify for Europe? We can but it looks tough with the sort of form that Liverpool and Everton are in. It is going to be difficult. "We are in the same position as four years ago when we came sixth and missed out on goal difference to Newcastle, when again only the first five in the Premier League qualified for Europe. "We need to give it a go. That's all we can do - put in better performances than against Middlesbrough and be a bit lucky with other results as well and then maybe we will have a chance. "We haven't been that consistent throughout the whole season but we have shown we are able to bounce back. We have one of the best records for coming back from a goal down."

Daily Mail: He may have made no impact on the field during his four years in English football but former Manchester United flop Eric Djemba-Djemba has unwittingly and belatedly provided a shocking insight into the hedonistic, cash-soaked world of the Premiership footballer. Declared bankrupt at a Birmingham court last September, Cameroon midfielder Djemba-Djemba is currently earning a relatively modest £15,000 a month playing for the Qatar SC club in the Middle East. Having failed during two seasons at United and subsequently at Aston Villa and Burnley, the 26-year-old has made a new life for himself in the desert in a bid to kick start a career that saw him play in the World Cup at the age of 20. But Sportsmail can reveal today that Djemba-Djemba also left England in a bid to rebuild a life shattered by financial wastefulness. His is a tale that should serve as a lesson to any young footballer suddenly finding himself with excess cash.

Coverage From Abroad

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