Harvey Elliott has made only five outings for Aston Villa since arriving on loan from Liverpool on deadline day.
Unai Emery maintains that several factors—not just Emi Buendia’s revival—explain the midfielder’s limited minutes. The 22-year-old has barely featured for Villa, and if he racks up another five appearances, the club must pay Liverpool £35m to make the move permanent.

Elliott was unavailable to play against his parent club in the recent 2-0 defeat at Anfield, but he was also left out of the squads that faced Manchester City and Bournemouth. Emery has said he views the England Under-21 star as a natural No. 10, yet he pointed to fierce competition in that position as the main reason behind Elliott’s restricted involvement, according to Birmingham Live.

Buendia, who looked set to leave Villa in the summer, is among those ahead of Elliott in the pecking order. The Argentine has contributed six goals this season, scoring against Fulham, Feyenoord, Tottenham Hotspur and Bournemouth.

Speaking on Buendia’s resurgence, Emery said:
“He was out for ten months, and when he came back to train, he needed time to get everything right—mentally, physically, and with confidence. Last year he struggled throughout the whole season, first with us for six months without finding form or consistency.

“When he went on loan to Bayer Leverkusen, he didn’t regain belief, playing time or the numbers he needed to feel like himself again.

“This season is totally different. He returned focused, trained hard, got fit, and played with confidence, showing his qualities in every pre-season match. Everything he’s achieving now, he deserves because he worked so hard to rediscover his level.

“When we chose to keep him and he chose to stay, I was sure he could reach the numbers he’s producing.”

Asked whether Buendia’s form is the main reason Elliott isn’t playing, Emery replied:
“It’s everything. Some players need more time to adapt. The team is progressing and requires high standards individually and collectively, plus consistency.

“Some players, like Buendia last year, need longer to hit their level.

“Harvey Elliott is working very well, very consistently. He’s a great lad with fantastic commitment to Aston Villa. I’m pleased with his attitude, but it’s difficult because other players, like Buendia, are performing at a high level.”

Elliott has not featured for Villa since October 2.