Watford don’t have a break clause in the season-long loan of Kortney Hause from Aston Villa which means his loan cannot be terminated.

It’s my understanding the Hornets didn’t pay a loan fee for Hause, but similarly they don’t have the right to send the player back either.

Hause has started two games and made one further substitute appearance, but hasn’t featured since September 17.

The defender has a knee problem which Watford head coach Slaven Bilic spoke about earlier this month, saying: “Since I’ve been here there has been a bit of a difference of opinions about his treatment. He wants surgery, nobody else was in favour of surgery. And now it has been like that for three months.”

The club can obviously simply not name him in their 25-man squad at the end of the month, and therefore he will not be taking up a place.

However, the Hornets can also ask to send him back to Villa, but in doing so they would still be required to pay the proportion of his salary that was agreed when the loan deal was struck.

Villa could, of course, decide to waive this should they be feeling particularly benevolent, although they may also think that by having not asked for a loan fee initially they have been accommodating already.

“I am gutted for him and for us,” said Watford head coach Slaven Bilic.

“He was going to be one of our main men who would help us go back to the Premier League, and I haven’t see him play at all. He is also gutted about this, don’t get me wrong.”