Villa have been in fine form so far during the current campaign and comfortably beat Newcastle United 4-1 on Saturday to remain just three points adrift of the Champions League places.

Having been knocked out of the FA Cup, Villa don't play again until the visit of Reading on 24th February and O'Neill has taken the opportunity to arrange a training camp in Spain.

He told the club's official website: "We hope the week's break can be as beneficial as it was last year. That's in the lap of the gods but I think the players have earned the right to do it.

"The same players have been going to the well every single time and this is a chance for us to recuperate .

"Players such as Wayne Routledge, Moustapha Salifou and Isaiah Osbourne - who is knocking on the door - want to become a part of proceedings and we want to do a bit of work with them."

O'Neill added: "We went this time last year and we trained each morning and the sessions were pretty intense.

"Because the weather was fine for us last year, it was pretty good. Getting a bit of sun was terrific - although we're not guaranteed it - it might rain all the time.

"But it gives us the chance to get away for a few days. I think they have deserved it. Had we lost on Saturday, it might have been a different issue. We're taking all the squad apart from Patrik Berger, who's not fit and needs to get some work in."

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