Aston Villa are set for a third consecutive season in the Championship after they fell narrowly short of promotion to the Premier League.

Steve Bruce guided his side to the play-off final but they were beaten by a solitary Tom Cairney goal to fire the ten men of Fulham back to the top flight.

This has cast Bruce's future into doubt, pretty much ended their hopes of landing Robert Snodgrass and Sam Johnstone on a permanent deal and seriously restricts their transfer activity ahead of next term.

Whether Bruce is in charge next season or whether it is someone else, many Aston Villa players could be at risk of being axed this summer.

Financial Fair Play is catching up with the West Midlands outfit and they will have to sell to buy during the close season.

Here are three players who need to be at their best in pre-season to avoid being culled.

Elphick has been disappointing since his summer 2016 arrival from Bournemouth.

The experienced centre-half was meant to add solidity to the back for Villa but some erratic displays have seen him drop right down the pecking order.

The 30-year-old was last seen on loan at Reading and he will probably be looking for a new club this summer unless he can impress a new manager.

Aston Villa paid a hefty £12m for McCormack in summer 2016 but he has been a major flop.

With just three goals in two seasons for Aston Villa, the Scotland international has been far from the prolific Championship striker they thought they were getting.

After only playing twice this season - both games coming in the cup - and having spent loan stints with Nottingham Forest and Melbourne City since arriving at Villa Park, the 31-year-old is surely on his way out this summer.

Academy product Gardner has been with the club since 2005 but it might be for the best that he leaves.

The 25-year-old's career has been held back by being a fringe player at Villa for too many years.

With the likes of Mile Jedinak, Henri Lansbury, Conor Hourihane and Glenn Whelan ahead of him in the pecking order for the central midfield spots, Gardner needs to force a move away if he does not impress in pre-season.