Aston Villa: Harvey Elliott, on loan from Liverpool, faces an uncertain future

The fact that Elliott’s attitude has impressed and he is well-liked by his teammates is also in his favour.

Tyrone Mings mocked Elliott’s whereabouts on social media after Salzburg last week, posting a popular meme involving Ian Wright and a former teacher believed to have passed away.

Few would blame Elliott for being upset at Bodymoor Heath’s training ground, but he remained positive and worked hard despite a season that did not go as he had hoped or expected.

Arriving at Villa after winning a second European Championship with England Under-21s, there have been other young players such as Elliot Anderson and Alex Scott who have earned big call-ups this season.

His sound level of fitness, despite his relative inactivity this season, was demonstrated when he featured in the full match against Salzburg – his first appearance in nearly four months.

There has been talk of a move to Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States, whose window remains open until the end of March – but that is not a consideration for the playmaker.

Elliott is instead likely to remain at Villa, wondering if Emery will be forced to bring him on as a result of a congested fixture list and depleted squad.

Liverpool’s position is that Villa’s problem is the one that needs to be solved. They budgeted for transfer fees and to cover Elliott’s wages.

The prospect of him returning to Anfield remains remote, and while manager Arne Slott has been criticized for what is seen as a cold approach towards a loanee struggling for playing time, Liverpool feel they sold Elliott effectively last summer.

“First of all, it was a pleasure to see him on the field last week,” Slott said. “He is a promising player and it is a pleasure to see him back on the pitch. His status is clear, he is an Aston Villa player at the moment.”

These are hardly the words of a Liverpool manager who is keen to see a player return to his team.

Meanwhile at Birmingham, if Elliott makes three more appearances for Villa, he will join a club whose manager he knows does not rate him highly.

Elliott may be one of England’s most talented young players, but he is unlikely to be in doubt about where he will start next season.