More than 700 police officers will be deployed for Aston Villa's match against Maccabi Tel Aviv

More than 700 officers will be on duty for Aston Villa's Europa League match against Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv on Thursday.

Police horses, police dogs and a drone unit will be part of the operation, with protests by different groups set to take place on the day. Birmingham's Safety Advisory Group (SAG) announced last month that visiting fans will be barred from attending the game at Villa Park amid public safety concerns.

The ban was widely condemned, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy calling it the "wrong" decision. Also last month, the Israeli club said it would not accept any away ticket allocation after the UK government had said it was "working around the clock" to ensure fans from both sides could attend.

There will be a "large number of uniformed officers" at the match, West Midlands Police said, calling it a "significant" operation. The force said it has plans in place to deal with protests from different groups on the day.

Read more from Sky News:Man who died in knife attack 'was stabbed 14 times'Ryanair boss hits out at chancellor over growth Birmingham Police commander chief superintendent Tom Joyce said the plans "balance the right to protest with our duty to protect all communities in Birmingham". He said: "Our message to those from all communities in Birmingham is that we have listened and will continue to engage with you.

"We remain committed to maintaining the city's reputation as a safe and welcoming place for everyone. "Anyone who breaks the law will be dealt with directly, as will those who incite hate." The Israeli club said in a statement: "The wellbeing and safety of our fans is paramount and from hard lessons learned, we have taken the decision to decline any allocation offered on behalf of away fans and our decision should be understood in that context.

"We hope that circumstances will change and look forward to being able to play in Birmingham in a sporting environment in the near future.".