Luke Young's backing Carlos Cuellar

Villa right-back Luke Young has backed team-mate Carlos Cuellar to bounce back from the disappointment of losing his place.

Cuellar was outstanding in the victory over Wolves a fortnight ago but was forced to settle for a place on the bench in the defeat at Tottenham last weekend, after the fit-again Richard Dunne partnered James Collins.

Young said: "I think Carlos played excellently at Wolves, albeit at centre-half. But I think you've got to realise that it is a squad game now.

"If you are left out for a game, you knuckle down and get on with it and try to get yourself back in the team. That is pretty much how it works nowadays.

"If you look at the top sides, they are forever rotating their players.

"It doesn't mean that you're out of the side and you can't play there. It's just a matter of choosing people for a particular game.

"He wants to play, every single player wants to play and he is no different, but Carlos is a great character.

"He's always jovial and having a laugh but he'll just work as hard as ever to try to get in the side."

Young has re-established himself as Villa's first choice right-back this term following the departure of Martin O'Neill, who had made him available for transfer during the summer with Young even turning down a move to Liverpool.

And the 31-year-old admits he needs to maintain his performances to ensure Cuellar, who was preferred to him at right-back for much of last year, doesn't regain a place in the team at his expense.

He continued: "I'm not sure he's a massive fan of playing full-back anyway, but obviously he can play there and he played there last season in front of myself.

"We've also got Habib Beye and Eric Lichaj as well, so nobody can take their foot off the gas."