Steve Sidwell has set his sights on becoming the goalscoring midfielder Aston Villa are lacking, reports the Birmingham Mail. Sidwell has yet to score this season despite a string of half-chances and would love to open his account against his old Chelsea colleagues on Saturday.

The 26-year-old found the net four times during an injury-plagued first year with Villa and is targeting double figures this term if he can keep his place in the starting line-up.

"I can score goals, it's just getting the chances," said Sidwell.

"I've been there or thereabouts this season. I'm sure when the chances come I'll get a few goals, but I don't want to get over-burdened with that. It's all about being in the right place at the right time. Last year I got in some positions and perhaps should have done better.

"I think I ended up with four goals and it could have been a lot more with a bit of luck.

"I haven't had that many chances to score this year, but hopefully once I score the first one the goals will come."

At the start of the season Villa boss Martin O'Neill urged his midfield players to contribute more goals and challenged at least one of them to score 10.

"As midfielders the manager doesn't get us to do extra work on our finishing or anything like that because he doesn't want to put that extra pressure on us," he said.

"He wants us to get up there and create chances when we can and he knows if we do that then we'll get goals ourselves.

"I do set targets for myself. I try to get into double figures every year. I achieved that at Reading and I'm looking to do it here.

"Without the injuries last season I might have been able to get to that and if I can get a decent run in the team this season then I see no reason why it can't be achieved."