Confirmed: The real reason for Harvey Elliott being frozen out at Aston Villa
Harvey Elliott has had a miserable time on loan at Aston Villa from Liverpool and is well down the pecking order under Unai Emery.
The 22-year-old has featured just three times in the Premier League for the Midlands outfit this season and has not played a single minute since the start of October.
Liverpool could opt to recall Elliott in January, but the fact that he has already played for two clubs so far this term would prevent him from heading out on loan once again.
Therefore, the Englishman’s future remains uncertain, with a return to the Aston Villa starting lineup seeming far-fetched in the current climate.
Unai Emery speaks out about Harvey Elliott’s absence
Aston Villa beat Leeds United 2-1 on Sunday (23 November), in what was their third Premier League win in a row.
After a dismal start to the season, which saw them sitting in the relegation zone after five games, Emery’s side have now moved into the top four.
The Midlands giants now face Young Boys in the Europa League as they aim to continue their good start to the league phase of the competition.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the game, Emery revealed that the impressive performances of other Aston Villa players is one of the reasons behind Elliott’s continued absence.
The Spanish manager simply believes that there are better options than Elliott, who do not deserve to be dropped.
Emery added that a decision is yet to be made on the loanee’s future at Villa Park, and whether he will return to Liverpool in January.
Aston Villa to avoid Harvey Elliott obligation
Aston Villa hold an obligation to buy Elliott for £35million as part of the current loan agreement.
However, the clause will only be triggered if the midfielder makes 10 or more appearances for Emery’s side this season.
With the move not working out for the player or the club, Villa could simply be limiting Elliott’s game time to ensure he doesn’t hit the threshold.