Aston Villa full-back Stephen Warnock has admitted that he expects Ashley Young to receive a warm welcome from the home fans when he returns to Villa Park on Saturday afternoon.

Young will play at Villa Park for the first time since his summer move to Manchester United and Warnock believes that the fans will understand his reasons for leaving.

"I think Ashley will go down as a modern day great for Villa. I wouldn't expect anything less than a good reception for Ashley from our fans," said Warnock.

"He was a great servant to the club but it's not often the Premier League champions and Champions League runners-up want to sign you."

Meanwhile, Villa are hoping skipper Stiliyan Petrov can shake off a hamstring injury to face the Premier League champions.