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Saturday 9 March 2019 12:34, UK
Dean Smith has called on his Aston Villa side to demonstrate "emotional control" away to Birmingham City in the Second City derby.
The fierce rivals are separated by two points in the Sky Bet Championship table ahead of Sunday's meeting, live on Sky Sports, with both clubs determined to finish the regular league campaign in the play-offs.
Villa, who are six points adrift of sixth-placed Bristol City, enjoyed a memorable 4-2 comeback home victory when the two sides met in November.
"It's very important you've got some emotional control," Smith said.
"Both sets of supporters will be vociferous as you would expect in a local derby but for the players that's just got to be noise.
"They've just got to concentrate on their own games, have their professional heads on and retain that emotional control, with good discipline with and without the ball."
Jack Grealish scored a brilliant 25-yard goal on his return from a three-month injury absence against Derby last Saturday to emphasise his significance in the Villa squad.
The academy product wore the captain's armband at the weekend and Smith says the 23-year-old will keep hold of that responsibility, with the side suffering from injuries to key personnel.
"He'll certainly be captain if he starts on Sunday," Smith added.
"I said after the game it was my intention to make him captain, James Chester is out injured, Alan Hutton is now out injured as well.
"He is a player who has come through the system, come through the academy.
"He's got a long term future at the football club and he certainly relished having that armband last week."
