Aston Villa boss Tim Sherwood has insisted that his players are prepared to face a "wounded animal" when they take on Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday.

The Merseyside outfit have been dogged by rumours that manager Brendan Rodgers could soon be walking out of the exit door following a poor start to the Premier League season.

The Reds have picked up eight points from a possible 18 and have only managed to find the back of the net four times in six games, while Villa are also struggling having secured just one victory in the top flight so far.

"The new lads are excited about the prospect of playing at Anfield," Sherwood told reporters in today's press conference. "They've seen so many great players come from there. I still enjoy going there. I always did as a player and now as a manager. When we cross that white line, we'll be focused.

"Anytime is good to play Liverpool. It's always good to go to Anfield. They haven't got as many points as they would've liked. Neither have we. It's not a good time to play us either. Obviously you're worried about a wounded animal. A big football club not getting results. We'll be ready."

Villa grabbed a 1-0 win over the Reds in this fixture last season.