Danny Drinkwater could become a Premier League outcast following his attack on Aston Villa team-mate Jota.
Villa are discussing terminating Drinkwater's loan from Chelsea after he head-butted Jota at training on Tuesday.
However, Villa would require Premier League approval to end the loan spell and thus stop paying Drinkwater's wages, and Sportsmail understands officials would be reluctant to grant Villa permission to end the deal early.
Drinkwater does not figure in Chelsea's plans, so the prospect of the Blues taking the midfielder back are remote.