Aston Villa manager Alex McLeish today issued a 'hands off' warning over the club's fringe players and warned it would be "dangerous" if they were sold.

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Aston Villa manager Alex McLeish today issued a 'hands off' warning over the club's fringe players and warned it would be "dangerous" if they were sold.

The Scot insisted his squad is too thin to let anyone leave, after Olympiakos were linked with Jean Makoun and Blackpool asked about Barry Bannan.

Hard-up Villa need to ease their wage bill, despite banking £40million from the sales of Stewart Downing and Ashley Young to Liverpool and Manchester United respectively.

But after last night's 2-0 win over Hereford in the second round of the Carling Cup, McLeish insisted he would not have time to replace any players he lost.

He said: "Ian Holloway asked me about Bannan a couple of months ago and I said 'no.' I was assessing the squad and we're too thin really to let anybody go.

"That goes for Jean Makoun too because, if Jean went, the clock is ticking down and I don't know if I could bring somebody else in.

"It would be dangerous to lose some experienced players."

McLeish also dismissed reports linking Queens Park Rangers with Luke Young and insisted he has had no contact from Loftus Road.