Football: Baros hits the comeback trail; Villa boss' boost as striker returns.

Byline: By Colin Tattum

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

And it was expected that midfielder Patrik Berger and defender Wilfred Bouma would also take part in the match at Bodymoor Heath after recovering from their ailments.

Baros 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 of 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 Randy Lerner.

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

Yet it also provided the perfect opportunity to get the striker, plus Berger and Bouma, who both injured hamstrings on Villa's pre-season tour, back in the swing of things. With Baros under treatment and Kevin Phillips departed to Albion, O'Neill has been light on the ground up front.

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

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 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.

"There was talk of him moving on in the summer, but that was the case with a few players. He's still here and he'll be looking to do as well, if not better, than he did last season.

"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."

Centre-half Olof Mellberg, who was today at the centre of storm afer being sent home from international duty in Sweden, added: "It will be important for us when he comes back fit.

"The strikers have all done well. We haven't played fantastic football all the time in all three games.

"We were dominated in the first half against Newcastle and we were definitely dominated at Arsenal, and we struggled before the sending-off and penalty against Reading.

"You need a little bit of luck when you're doing well, but we need our players back and fit - and Milan is definitely one of our best players."

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.

And, for his part, 25-year-old Baros might opt to settle down and wholeheartedly commit to the future vision of Villa.

Meanwhile, defender Aaron Hughes will be checked over by Northern Ireland to discover whether he is fit to play against Spain in a European Championship qualifier tomorrow.

Hughes suffered a head injury in the 3-0 defeat by Iceland on Saturday and then dashed home to be with his wife as she gave birth to a daughter.

CAPTION(S):

OPTIONS... Martin O'Neill.' PRIVATE VIEWING... Milan Baros is due to play against Lincoln City.