Danny Mills has joined club captain Richard Dunne in questioning the attitude of some Manchester City players.

City face champions Chelsea tonight in a crucial Barclays Premiership match on the back of four defeats in five games in all competitions.

They exited the FA Cup on Sunday at Blackburn and endured a furious backlash from disaffected supporters.

With a tricky trip to Middlesbrough on Saturday, City could yet be sucked into a relegation battle.

The pressure is mounting on manager Stuart Pearce and Mills indicated there are splits in the dressing room.

The former England defender, who is sidelined with shin splints, told Radio Five Live: "He (Dunne) just thought enough is enough.

"There is a little bit of frustration creeping in. He is the club captain and rightly so. He has every right to criticise people.

"He has done it publicly and sometimes people have to stand up and be counted.

"I do not think he was wrong in what he said.  One or two people are unhappy about what he said but they have to respond in the correct way."

Meanwhile, Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill will delay any discussions with Chris Sutton on his future until the end of the season as the striker struggles to recover from blurred vision.

The former Celtic striker has been sidelined since receiving a bang to the head during the home Barclays Premiership match with Manchester United on December 23rd.

The 33-year-old will again see a specialist in a fortnight but his chances of playing again this season are fading fast.

O'Neill said: "Chris will see a specialist again in a couple of weeks and we will be better positioned to find out what is happening.

"It is slow progress. There hasn't been any definite improvement although the specialist said that would take some time.

Villa play Arsenal at home in this evening's only other Premiership game.  The Irishman is likely to start with Carew up front, a sight the Gunners are all too familiar with.

When playing for Valencia in 2001 Carew's goals knocked Arsenal out of the Champions League at the quarter-final stage, while he scored against them again two years later.

However, it is the defence that O'Neill has concerns about. "We could be in a much better position if we could defend better," he said yesterday. "There is plenty you can do about it and it is down to me to do something about it. It is my responsibility.

"The goal we conceded after taking the lead against Fulham was particularly galling really. It is a free-kick less than two minutes after we scored.

"You've got to talk it through, practise and do better. We have to do better. If it occurred once, then okay, but it has been a recurring theme for the season and we have got to do better."

Martin Laursen (hamstring) and Shaun Maloney (illness) are ruled out with Gary Cahill and Gabriel Agbonlahor poised for recalls.