Birmingham Mail: MARTIN O'Neill has told his team that the three points tomorrow are just as important to eighth-placed Aston Villa as they are to third-bottom Bolton Wanderers. And he hopes Gary Megson's side will look to take the game to a Villa side seeking a vital home win after two dismal displays. "It's a big game," said O'Neill. "We are still involved in a race to get us into the top six. "We have had a bad run. Now the most important issue is winning this game. "This game is very, very important to us, as it will be to Bolton. "We have disappointed in the last number of weeks and we are going to have to rectify that. "We are going to have to do something really big to win the game, so our idea is to try and create as many chances as we can."

Birmingham Mail: MARTIN O'Neill is not fazed by the prospect of three former Aston Villa players being fired up for Bolton Wanderers and ready to prove him wrong. And he insists he has no regrets over his decision to cash in on Gary Cahill. Cahill and Jlloyd Samuel both sought pastures new after failing to break into O'Neill's team, while Gavin McCann left after a new contract failed to materialise. All three are likely to raise their games at Villa Park, but O'Neill said: "I think players have points to prove every single week, and I think managers have points to prove every single week. "Over the years, former play-ers coming back - some players have played very well and some have not done so cleverly on a given day. "I just don't know. Our focus must be on ourselves."

Birmingham Mail: GARY Megson has already masterminded one win at Aston Villa this season - with Leicester City in the Carling Cup - and Martin O'Neill believes it will take total focus team to prevent a second. Despite dominating the game, Villa were beaten by Gary Speed's late penalty the last time Bolton Wanderers were at Villa Park, in December 2006. O'Neill said: "Bolton, at that stage, were going for Europe. That win was the second in a run of five straight league wins, a really great run which took them into the top four for a while. "So it is different circumstances this time. We can't even think about it, all our efforts have to go into winning this football game." O'Neill believes the fact he has been able to train with all his squad this week, without any international call-ups, has helped. "Our preparation, we feel, has been right," he said.

Express and Star: Martin O'Neill insists he has no regrets over the £5m sale of Gary Cahill. Defender Cahill prepares to return to Villa Park for the first time tomorrow since his £5m transfer to Bolton in January. The sale of the popular 22-year-old proved controversial with many fans concerned boss O'Neill was leaving himself short of cover at the back. Olof Mellberg joins Juventus in the summer and Curtis Davies is out until October with a ruptured Achilles, leaving just Martin Laursen adn Zat Knight as the only senior centre-halves going into the summer. But O'Neill said: "I was perfectly happy with the money we received for Cahill. "I was asked if I regretted it and said I really don't think you can see that far into the future. "The injury was very unfortunate for Curtis, but that's why we took on another centre-half (Knight). "That was primarily because I never thought Martin would play that many games. "He's played a full season which is remarkable, and we also had Olof Mellberg. "I wasn't pushing Gary out the door, but I understand him wanting to play, especially as he was down the pecking order."

Sky Sports: Scott Carson claims he would prefer to play in the Championship than return to Liverpool to be on the bench. The England goalkeeper is spending the season on loan at Aston Villa, but a decision has yet to be made regarding a permanent deal. Carson, who has previously been on loan at Sheffield Wednesday and Charlton Athletic, is not keen on another temporary move next season. He accepts his chances of dislodging Jose Reina at Liverpool are slim and is determined to play football week-in, week-out. "Will I be at Villa next season?," said Carson. "I can't say yes or no. I don't know what Martin O'Neill's plans are here. I have some important decisions to make in the summer. "But I do not want to go out on loan again. I would like to get settled and find a home for the next five or six years. "I want to be No.1 at a club whether it be Liverpool, Aston Villa or somewhere else. I have big decisions to make at the end of the season."

Sporting Life: Bolton will again be without skipper Kevin Nolan when they travel to Barclays Premier League rivals Aston Villa. Nolan is serving the second game of a two-match suspension after picking up his 10th booking of the season against Manchester City. Goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen (back) and defenders Nicky Hunt (dislocated shoulder) and Ricardo Gardner (rib) are sidelined through injury.

The World Game (Australia): Martin O'Neill has defended his decision not to make any major signings in January but admitted he anticipated criticism after Aston Villa's poor sequence of results. O'Neill has found himself coming under fire from some supporters and critics for only bringing in Wayne Routledge from Tottenham during the last transfer window to bolster a push for a European spot. And now a run of only two points from the last five games have seen Villa's UEFA Cup hopes fade. But O'Neill is adamant his stance not to bring people in for the sake of it was justified and he knows ultimately he will be judged on results and the overall progress of the team. The former Celtic boss said: "It is about the overall picture in my own view and it is about the overall improvement of the football club, all those types of things." "I am not too bothered if people overlook that, because that is what happens."