Salernitana have stepped in at the last minute to play a friendly against Aston Villa in Birmingham this Sunday, replacing Sevilla.

The Premier League side had been meant to play Sevilla, but the Spaniards pulled out of the trip following a COVID outbreak within their squad.

Instead, newly-promoted Serie A outfit Salernitana have agreed to fly in for the match at Villa Park on Sunday August 8, kicking off at 14.00 local time.

The fixture will have to be played behind closed doors, as Aston Villa explain in the statement that they were unable to obtain permission from the relevant authorities to bring in supporters.

Salernitana returned to Serie A for the first time in 23 years, as runners-up to Empoli in the Serie B campaign last season.

It will be the first time the Granata have played on English soil in 26 years, as that was the Anglo-Italian Cup, a 2-0 defeat to Ipswich Town in December 1995.

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