Roberto Di Matteo 'expected to be sacked by Aston Villa in next 48 hours'

Aston Villa manager Roberto Di Matteo is expected to be sacked in the next 48 hours, according to reports.

The West Midlands side, who were relegated from the Premier League in May, have slipped to 19th in the Championship table with just one win to their name this term.

According to The Mirror, the Italian coach is having crisis talks with the Villa board after Saturday's lacklustre 2-0 defeat at Preston North End and is not expected to be kept on.

Bristol City boss Lee Johnson is reportedly among the contenders to replace Di Matteo, who won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2012.