Aston Villa defender Aly Cissokho has revealed that his teammates have been left "very sad" by the club's perilous position in the Premier League.
The Midlands side are rock bottom of the table with a return of just eight points from their first 20 games, and no wins since the opening day of the season, in the worst ever run in the club's 141-year history.
With a gap of 11 points to safety and just 18 games remaining, Villa's plight appears unachievable but Cissokho has insisted that the squad still has the will to keep fighting.
"We know what everyone thinks - that Villa are now down," he told the Birmingham Mail. "But while we have a chance, we have to fight.
"We have to be professional. Fight for the club. Fight for the fans. Fight as professionals. Of course, too, we have our own pride [and] that means we will continue to give everything, however it looks.
"It does not look good. This is not easy for any of us. Everybody is very sad. We care."
Remi Garde's charges have their next opportunity to get points on the board when they welcome Crystal Palace to Villa Park on January 12.
