More than 700 officers will be on duty for Thursday’s Europa League match between Aston Villa and Maccabi Tel Aviv, with a protest set to take place near the stadium.

Axar.az informs, citing Independent, Birmingham’s Safety Advisory Group announced last month that visiting fans will be barred from attending the match at Villa Park on public safety concerns.

Maccabi later announced it would decline any away tickets for the clash after the Government said it was “working around the clock” to ensure fans from both sides could attend.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called for the ban on away fans to be overturned, saying it was “the wrong decision”.

Campaign group Palestine Solidarity Campaign has announced it will hold a protest at the match to demand Israel is excluded from international football.