Alejandro Garnacho's loan move to Aston Villa has stalled, with the Chelsea winger playing only 31 minutes for his new club. The £40m signing has been an unused substitute for Villa's last four matches, raising immediate questions about his role under manager Unai Emery.

Garnacho joined Villa on a temporary deal in July which includes an obligation to buy based on appearances. His sole contribution so far was a 15-minute cameo in a 2-2 draw against Hull City. Since then, he has watched from the bench as teammates George Hemmings and Ibrahim Mbaye have been preferred in attacking positions.

Unai Emery addressed the situation directly. "Continue working. Work, work, train, work," the Villa manager said. He added a note of patience but clear competition. "When he can have minutes to play, try to play well. He is progressing, but we have players in front of him now."

The situation echoes a previous Chelsea loan to Villa that did not work out. Harvey Elliott made only four Premier League appearances during his spell at Villa Park before being recalled early. Garnacho, a Copa America winner with Argentina in 2024 and former Premier League goal of the season award holder, now faces a defining period to avoid a similar outcome.

Chelsea's current focus is on improving their own league position, sitting 10th with seven points from five games. Their form has been inconsistent, with a 3-0 defeat at Brentford last time out preceding a run of two wins, one draw and two losses.

The club has a busy recent history with Villa, completing eight transfers between the sides in the past four years. These include Villa's club-record signing of striker Jackson from Chelsea for £65m and Chelsea's £117m acquisition of Morgan Rogers moving the other way. Garnacho's own permanent move to Chelsea last season from Manchester United, where he debuted at 17, was seen as a major investment.

For now, the 22-year-old's immediate task is to force his way into Emery's plans at Villa Park. His progress, or lack of it, will be closely monitored at Stamford Bridge, where the squad is currently without attackers Cole Palmer and João Pedro due to injury. The club's squad list shows the attacking options available. Garnacho's next opportunity to play could come in Villa's upcoming cup tie, a fixture yet to be scheduled.

This story first appeared at BBC Sport Football