The Spaniard has struggled to force his way into the first-team picture this season, with just 12 Premier League appearances made this term. He has found himself on the fringes despite seeing Villa leak goals at an alarming rate, with their back four breached 58 times in 36 top flight outings. Richard Dunne and James Collins have been preferred at centre-half, while Luke Young and Kyle Walker have dominated at right-back. A lack of activity has fuelled speculation that Cuellar, who was signed for £7.8million from Rangers in 2008, could be moved on this summer. Villa assistant manager Gary McAllister, who is currently in temporary charge of the club as Gerard Houllier recovers from a health scare, insists the club have no plans to part with the versatile defender, though, as he still has one year left to run on his contract. "Carlos has been working fantastically well," he said in the Birmingham Mail. "But the facts are we've had a wee run of results. "People warranted keeping the jersey but it's very competitive, that's just the way it is. "We can't pick 20 players, but the players that are not in the team have got to continue to put pressure on those that are. That's what makes a good football club. "We have five or six centre-halves at the club and the decision is to pick two." McAllister added: "He's a model professional. He's a good player, that's a fact. I saw a lot of him when he played at Glasgow Rangers. "But he's got to remain focused and keep battling away to get himself back in the team. He's no problem. "Of course he's got a part to play here. Off the top of my head I think he's got a year left. That tells you something. "The club made a big commitment to him and he's made a big commitment to us."
