According to reports in The Mirror, Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce is ready to show up to 10 players the door this summer as he looks to trim his squad.

The boss will need to sell to buy if he wants to create a promotion push next season, with the Football League clamping down on Financial Fair Play regulations.

Bruce will be under pressure to lead Villa back to the Premier League following a disappointing first season in the Championship where the club could only manage a 13th-placed finish, and the latest revelation will hardly help his cause as he looks to bring in the players he wants this summer.

Among the players set to exit the Midlands outfit are ones that spent last term out on loan such as Jordan Veretout and Carles Gil, but there are others that may feel they should get another opportunity to impress.

Here are three out-of-favour Villa players that deserve a second chance instead of being sold…

Tommy Elphick

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Aston Villa's Tommy Elphick celebrates after Rudy Gestede scored their second goal 
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Having helped Bournemouth to the Premier League and then been a regular for the Cherries during their first season in the top flight, there would have been a lot of excitement when Roberto Di Matteo brought the centre-back to Villa Park last summer.

Despite being a regular under the Italian, that soon changed when Steve Bruce took over, with Nathan Baker often being preferred alongside James Chester at the heart of the defence.

At 29 years of age and with the experience he has at this level, there is no doubt that Elphick deserves a second chance to impress next season.

Aaron Tshibola

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Aston Villa's Aaron Tshibola scores their first goal 
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After making just 16 appearances in all competitions for Reading before Villa snapped him up for £5m last summer, the Midlands outfit will perhaps look back on the decision as a hasty one.

While the 22-year-old had impressed for the Royals, asking him to come to Villa Park and help mount a push for automatic promotion was perhaps beyond him.

Having failed to impress during a loan spell at Nottingham Forest in the second half of the campaign after making just four appearances, the future could look bleak for Tshibola.

However, he has the potential to improve and deserves another chance to prove himself to Steve Bruce in pre-season and next term.

Ross McCormack

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As with Tshibola, Villa may be regretting their decision to splash out £12m on a 29-year-old forward last summer.

Despite arriving with an impressive goalscoring record at this level, McCormack struggled to adapt to life at Villa Park and he frustrated Steve Bruce by failing to turn up to training on occasions.

A loan move to Nottingham Forest followed where he again struggled to make an impression, but still the best option for Villa may be to keep hold of him this summer.

The Midlands outfit are unlikely to recoup much of the huge fee they paid for him and after scoring 66 goals in the three seasons previous to this one, he could still have a huge part to play as the club aim for automatic promotion next term.

Do you agree, Villa fans? Let us know below.