Aston Villa manager Remi Garde has rejected reports that there is a divide in the dressing room.

There have been rumours of conflict between the senior players as Villa struggle to maintain their Premier League status.

The Midlands outfit are currently rooted to the bottom of the table, eight points adrift of safety after winning just three of their 28 league games.

When asked about the reports in Friday's press conference, Garde said: "There is no split and the players are telling me that. I'm surprised this kind of stuff is coming out.

"I'm surprised because I strongly believe it is not the case simply because I had the captain of the team, Micah Richards, in my office after the last game against Everton.

"We had a private chat. I don't want to say exactly what was talked about but to sum it up it was the exact opposite of what some people are saying."

Villa will take on title contenders Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium this Saturday.