Football: Baros hits the comeback trail; VILLA NEWS.

Byline: By Colin Tattum

MILAN Baros was today primed to make his comeback from injury in a private friendly at Bodymoor Heath, so providing manager Martin O'Neill with a much-needed option.

The striker has not kicked a ball in anger since the World Cup finals, when he lasted just 64 minutes of the Czech Republic's opening game against Italy.

Villa took a dim view his country's approach to a foot injury and since the moment he came off the pitch in Germany, Baros has been plagued by the problem and been unable to actively take part in the revival of Villa under the manager and new owner-elect Randy Lerner.

But Baros was set to face League Two outfit Lincoln City in a game arranged to keep both sides back-up players ticking over (ex-Villa favourite John Deehan is director of football at Sincil Bank).

With Baros in the treatment room and Kevin Phillips departed to Albion, O'Neill has been light on the ground in attack.

He has used Luke Moore and Gabriel Agbonlahor in wider roles to supplement Juan Pablo Angel so far this season, and to good affect.

But the return of Baros, who has targeted the substitutes bench at least for Sunday's Premiership clash at West Ham United, will increase his options and provide a more experienced forward who, on his day, can be a real handful for top defences.

Captain Gareth Barry outlined the need for Baros to be back in the fold, despite Villa's flying start to the league campaign.

"Milan's a quality player and you want to have all your quality players available to have the best chance in games," the midfielder stressed.

"The strikers, like everyone in the team, have been working hard this season and it will give us another option to have Milan fit and raring to go.

"We didn't score enough goals last season and that's something collectively we want to put right this time. Milan certainly adds to our potential."

It will be fascinating to see how O'Neill handles Baros, who signed for Villa in a blaze of publicity from Liverpool for pounds 6.5million in August 2005.

O'Neill has insisted that Baros still has a significant role to play for his team.

It seemed certain that Baros would be off in the summer as officials from Hamburg were encouraged to make a pitch for him.

But they failed to meet Villa's valuation and since there has been the ousting of David O'Leary as boss and a change in control of the club about to be ratified.

The atmosphere among the players has lifted and their outlook is sunnier' Baros cannot fail to have been influenced.

CAPTION(S):

CZECH-IN... Villa's returning striker Milan Baros.