Villa determined to keep Carew

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill has signalled that he will resist any move to prise John Carew away from the club following reports Fenerbahce are considering a bid for the Norway striker.

Reports in Turkey have claimed that Carew's representatives have been talking to Fenerbahce about a potential deal in the January transfer window but O'Neill insisted on Wednesday that there was "nothing in it."

"I haven't spoken to John or his agent about it," O'Neill said.

"He's played in Turkey before (for Besiktas) and I'm sure that won't be the only link to one of our players this season. I've not even bothered to chase it up.

"We're at a really important stage and John is very important to us. I would be pretty loathe to be losing players."

O'Neill added: "John has been an integral part of the side, he's done very well and I want a bit of genuine competition for places."

Villa is the seventh club Carew has represented in a career that has featured spells at Valencia, Roma and Lyon as well a successful season (2004-05) at Besiktas.

Villa's Dutch defender Wilfred Bouma meanwhile has suffered another setback in his attempt to come back from a long-term ankle injury.

Bouma, who has not played since dislocating an ankle in July 2008 during an Intertoto Cup tie with Odense, has now developed a toe problem.

O'Neill said: "He has gone to see a specialist who is recommending we immobilise it for a week or two and see how that works. It probably should do the trick.

"But again it's been a setback for him and it's been a rather frustrating time for him. We will see how he is in a couple of weeks."