Villa now have to finish in the top five of the Barclays Premier League to achieve that goal after Tottenham Hotspur's Carling Cup triumph and the failure of the top four to reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup.

They are currently eight points adrift of Liverpool and Everton going into their match against Middlesbrough at Villa Park on Wednesday.

Gabriel Agbonlahor has already been the subject of speculation linking him with a move away, while Ashley Young has forced his way into the England squad.

But manager O'Neill has no fears about losing the star pair if Villa miss out on a spot in the Champions League or UEFA Cup.

He said: "Playing in Europe can help take players onto the next level and people like Gabby and Ashley are the ones I have in mind when I am thinking about that.

"Of course, it is possible to even lose quality players to a team who are not in Europe. But I'm not fearful of losing players if we don't make it this season.

"The reason I want to qualify for Europe is not to keep these players because I think most of them will want to stay anyway. It is because it will aid their development.

"I think we have established a viewpoint that younger players get the chance to shine in the side here and that the club is progressing. We haven't seen any fantastic rotation policy here and these boys enjoy playing week in and week out."