Aston Villa manager John Gregory has revealed that Paul Merson is facing up to an extended spell on the bench at Villa Park.

The midfielder revealed last week that he was becoming concerned that he was being labelled as a substitute. He has started only four games this season and completed the full 90 minutes on only two occasions - against his two former clubs, Middlesbrough and Arsenal.

Merson, who joined Villa a year ago from Middlesbrough for £6.75million, has made brief cameo appearances in three of the last four matches, but failed to get off the bench during the recent 3-1 defeat at the hands of Leicester City at Filbert Street.

At the present time, Gregory feels that the best way to use Merson is in short 20 or 30 minute bursts at the end of matches. Gregory admits that Merson still has problems to contend with off the pitch and that at the present time everything is not 100 per cent right in his world.

While he would love to get a full 90 minutes out of the 31-year-old, Gregory just feels that using him in short bursts is the best way for Merson to have an impact on the team.