Petrov to begin treatment

Stiliyan Petrov will begin treatment at a London hospital on Monday after being diagnosed with acute leukaemia.

Aston Villa manager Alex McLeish expected that the Bulgarian midfielder, 32, would spend a couple of days in the capital in the first instance after the diagnosis was made public on Friday and hopes to visit him in hospital this week.

Club captain Petrov addressed the Villa squad in the dressing room prior to Saturday's 4-2 Barclays Premier League defeat at home to Chelsea, where he vowed to fight the condition and beat it.

Copyright (c) PA Sport 2012, All Rights Reserved.