Harvey Elliott will go a fourth-straight match without seeing a minute of football for Aston Villa.
Elliott, who joined Unai Emery's side on a season-long loan from Liverpool, was left out of the matchday squad for the Villans' clash against Manchester City.
Jamie O'Hara and Gabby Agbonlahor row over combined Tottenham and Aston Villa XI
What is the clause in Elliott's transfer and how can it be triggered?
As part of Elliott's deadline day switch, Villa are obliged to make the move permanent for £35million should the midfielder make 10 appearances this season.
To date, Elliott has featured five times for Villa across all competitions.
talkSPORT also understands that Elliott's move to Villa Park was driven by then now former sporting director Monchi rather than Emery.
The City fixture marks the first time since he made his debut against Everton on September 13 he has not made the bench or been named in the starting line-up.
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Emery's decision to drop Elliott out of the squad altogether came after he hailed the 22-year-old's attitude and commitment during training.
What has Emery said about Elliott previously?
However, the Villa boss felt Elliott's performances to date are 'not enough' to break into his starting line-up.
"I am being very, very demanding myself to choose in each match the player to start and the players on the bench and the subs players, and firstly is always trying to get the best performance collectively, through individual players," Emery said in his pre-match press conference.
"Harvey is a 10 number in our structure, in our shape, and he plays some matches and there is still adaptation to add himself individually in our structure, the task we have.
"Of course, he is training well, and his commitment is being very well as well, but his performance was not enough (up to this point).
"At the same time, we have other players who can play as a 10 and they are performing well, and I have different players.
Elliott has started just once in the Premier League for Villa but was hooked at half-time
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Elliott has started just once in the Premier League for Villa but was hooked at half-timeCredit: Getty
"This is the main reason he is not playing the last matches minutes, but he has to continue working like he is doing in the training session and of course getting his confidence in the performance we need through him."
Emery added: "His quality, in my opinion, is to play No 10.
"He can maybe play wide right, like John McGinn, but he will need more time.
"At the beginning I signed him thinking him to play No 10 and getting the performance and getting him to play consistently for us. There are other players who can play there."
Elliott's Villa career to date
Elliott made his Villa debut with a 19-minute cameo off the bench against Everton, which finished 0-0.
The 22-year-old was handed his first start in the following match against Brentford in the EFL Cup.
Emery's lack of minutes for Elliott indicates he doesn't feel the 22-year-old is ready for regular minutes
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Emery's lack of minutes for Elliott indicates he doesn't feel the 22-year-old is ready for regular minutesCredit: AFP via Getty
Against the Bees, Elliott scored Villa's first goal of the season but they bowed out of the competition defeat in the penalty shootout.
Elliott was an unused substitute in Villa's 1-0 win over Bolonga in the Europa League but returned to the starting lineup for a Premier League clash against Fulham.
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However, Elliott was brought off at half-time against the Cottagers as Villa went on to record a 3-1 win.
A four-minute cameo against Feyenoord on October 2 was the last time Elliott saw any action as he remained on the bench for Villa's next three fixtures against Burnley, Tottenham and Go Ahead Eagles.