Aston Villa: Gareth Barry insists club won't be held to transfer ransoms
Villa have used only 18 players in the Premier League this season and while only having John Carew and Wilfred Bouma on the sidelines, they have four players on yellows cards and one game away from a ban.
Barry admits their lack of strength in depth separates Villa from the big four.
“In terms of squads, that is where the main difference is with Villa and the top four.
“So far, touch wood, we have been lucky with injuries and suspensions.”
Villa head to Sunderland today looking to keep the pressure on fifth-placed Arsenal who travel to Hull in the evening kick-off.
Barry says it is difficult not to get carried away with Villa’s lofty perch and their “great” chance to finish in the top four.
“It is so easy to get carried away in these situations. You only had to look at the table on Saturday afternoon when we were six points clear of Arsenal before they beat Bolton.
“You look at the teams around us who are struggling more than they have in recent years when they would go on seven or eight-game runs of winning every single game.
“I just think it is there for us this season. It is a great opportunity but it is still a massive task ahead. There is a lot of hard work still to be done.”
