Villa are set to kick off the Barclays Premier Reserve League season with a trip to Blackburn Rovers.

Kevin MacDonald's team will begin the 2011-12 campaign by taking on Rovers at Leigh Sports Village on Monday August 22 [ko 7pm].

This term the claret and blues will compete in a revised 16-team competition - with the league reverting back to a regionalised two-division format.

Villa - who were Reserve League South champions in 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10 - are in the southern section once again with the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal, Wolves and West Brom.

The southern league also includes Fulham and newly promoted sides Norwich and Swansea.

As well as facing each club from the south on a home and away basis, MacDonald's men must also play one match against each of the Reserve League North sides, resulting in a 22-game season overall.

As with previous seasons, the top teams in the north and south sections will face each other in an end-of-season play-off final to determine the national kings of reserve football.

Villa finished third in last season's southern section behind Arsenal and eventual winners Chelsea.

But the boys in claret and blue enjoyed some incredible moments, doing the double over the Gunners with a 2-0 win on the road and an astonishing 10-1 success at occasional home ground Hinckley.

Times and venues for the Villa's home games are yet to be confirmed.

Full list of 2011-12 reserve fixtures:

Mon Aug 22 - Blackburn - A - 7pm - Leigh Sports Village
Mon Aug 29 - Wigan Athletic - H - TBC
Tue Sep 13 - Everton - A - 2pm - Finch Farm
Mon Sep 26 - Bolton Wanderers - H - TBC
Mon Oct 3 - Chelsea - H - TBC
Tue Oct 18 - Norwich - A - 7pm - Carrow Road
Mon Oct 31 - Arsenal - H - TBC
Tue Nov 8 - Wolves - A - 7pm - Telford Utd
Tue Nov 15 - West Brom - A - 7pm - The Hawthorns
Mon Dec 5 - Swansea City - H - TBC
Mon Dec 12 - Chelsea - A - 2pm - Cobham
Mon Jan 9 - Arsenal - A - 1.30pm - London Colney
Mon Jan 23 - Wolves - H - TBC
Mon Feb 6 - Fulham - H - TBC
Tue Feb 14 - Fulham - A - 7pm - Motspur Park
Mon Feb 20 - West Brom - H - TBC
Mon Feb 27 - Swansea - A - TBC
Mon Mar 5 - Newcastle - H - TBC
Mon Mar 12 - Norwich - H - TBC
Thu Mar 22 - Man United - A - 7pm - Altrincham
Mon Apr 2 - Liverpool - H - TBC
Tue Apr 10 - Sunderland - A - 2pm - Academy of Light
Wed May 16 - Play-off

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