Harvey Elliott hit by Aston Villa blow, Liverpool return on the cards
Harvey Elliott will struggle to force his way into the Aston Villa starting lineup in the near future, sources have told Football Insider.
Unai Emery left Elliott out of the squad entirely for Villa’s 1-0 win over Manchester City on Sunday (26 October).
It means the 22-year-old has not played a single minute of the Midlands side’s last four games across all competitions.
Sources say that with Villa in good form and an abundance of options for Emery in attacking areas, Elliott is unlikely to work his way back into the fold any time soon.
Unai Emery reveals reason for Harvey Elliott’s absence
Despite leaving Elliott out of the entire matchday squad against Man City, Emery insists that there is no bad blood between the pair.
The Spaniard revealed that he is happy with the midfielder’s training and commitment, and that the decision was purely tactical.
Elliott is behind the likes of Morgan Rogers, Emi Buendia and Ross Barkley in the pecking order, so his game time frustrations look set to continue.
Villa have won four games on the spin in the Premier League, and are now up to eighth in the table, meaning there is no reason for Emery to make any radical changes to his starting lineup.
Harvey Elliott could return to Liverpool
Elliott joined Aston Villa on loan from Liverpool at the end of the summer transfer window, after falling out of favour at Anfield.
An obligation to buy clause was included in the deal, meaning the Midlands side will have to pay £35million to make the move permanent if he makes 10 appearances this season.
So far, Elliott has only played five times for Villa across all competitions, with three appearances in the Premier League, one in the EFL Cup, and one in the Europa League.
If he fails to hit the 10-game threshold at Villa Park, then he will return to Liverpool at the end of the campaign.
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