Aston Villa are ready to deal in former West Ham defender James Collins.

The Express & Star says Collins is on the verge of being given a short-term deal at Aston Villa.

The former Wales international must prove his fitness by shaking off a couple of niggling injuries before being drafted in by Dean Smith as defensive cover ahead of a busy festive period.

Collins has been without a club since being released by West Ham in the summer but is understood to have been training with Villa since mid-September.