Aston Villa appeared to be running away with the second automatic promotion spot earlier in the year following a remarkable run that had placed them behind league leaders Wolves, but a period of indifferent results has seen Steve Bruce men slide down the table in recent weeks.

The form of promotion rivals Cardiff City has not helped the situation, with the Bluebirds sailing towards a Premier League return alongside Villa’s rivals from the Black Country.

Bruce will remain confident that his player’s will fight till the bitter end, with Alan Hutton in particular keen to see his side to the top flight given that his manager has admitted that the Scotsman will only be offered a new deal if the club secure promotion.

If Villa fail, Hutton will be on his way out and this pair might not be far behind him…

Once hailed as a future captain of the England football team, Micah Richards’ career took a turn for the worse and now struggles to make the match day squad at Villa Park.

On big wages having joined from boyhood club Manchester City on a four-year deal in 2015, Richards is proving a real financial burden to chairman Tony Xia, although the defender is an excellent man to have around the squad given his experience.

The 29-year-old should be at the peak of his powers and taking his national side to Russia this summer and his tale is quite a sad one.

If Bruce can find someone to offload Richards to in the summer, he must bite their hand off.

The Icelandic international will head to the World Cup this summer after the Northern European minnows qualified for their first ever global tournament but have left his manager extremely frustrated with his inconsistent displays this term.

At one stage Bjarnason looked destined for the chop, but a run of good form put him back in contention for starts, yet he has once again slipped back into the shadows and it is time for Bruce to take the plunge and move him on when he returns from Russia.

The 29-year-old should attract suitors from across the globe and Villa can expect a small fee which will be reinvested back into the squad, with Bruce desperate for cash from player sales.

Villa fans, should this pair be moved on?