Dean Smith urges Aston Villa players to "keep their heads" in derby clash
Dean Smith has warned Villa’s players to keep their cool in Sunday’s Second City derby.
Villa will host rivals Blues in front of a sold-out crowd, aiming to record their third straight Championship win.
The occasion promises to be an extra special one for Smith, who grew up a Villa supporter.
But the boss is determined to take the emotion of the occasion and will tell his team to focus on the gameplan.
“Performance and emotional control will be very important,” he told the club’s official website.
“The players have shown that so far. Certainly the emotional control and not losing discipline.
“They have to know the gameplan and follow it but also keep calm.”
"We can't be obsessed with beating Birmingham City, we have to be obsessed with winning every game.
"Our obsession is making the top two this season, and if we can't do that, the top six."
Smith has been handed a boost with the news left-back Neil Taylor has returned to training, after shaking off the ankle injury which forced him to pull out of international duty with Wales.
The boss, meanwhile, remains hopeful over the participation of key duo James Chester (knee) and John McGinn (calf).
Smith is prepared to wait as long as possible for both men to prove their fitness.
Villa’s biggest doubt surrounds Birkir Bjarnason, with the midfielder still struggling with a groin sustained last month.
