No, if your plant did not need those leaves, it would not have grown them in the first place!
No matter how small they are, as long as they are healthy and green, they are making some of the energy that your plant needs to grow her biggest and fastest.
Removing healthy, green, energy producing leaves just reduces your plants capacity to make energy, thereby slowing growth and potentially leading to smaller plants too. As long as the leaves are green and making energy, it really is best to leave them to do their job. Try to only ever remove yellow leaves, for once they are yellow, they have done their contribution to plant health.
The leaves will not cause any negative issues with growth, only positives.
Just remember -
Maximum amount of healthy green leaves = maximum energy production = maximum growth and fastest growth too.
It is that simple and basic plant biology.
Hope this helps, Organoman.