Harvey Elliott was sent off in bizarre fashion as Valencia took on Villarreal in La Liga, with the dismissal continuing what has been a nightmare year for the Liverpool loanee

Harvey Elliott’s nightmare year went from bad to worse as he was sent off in bizarre fashion during his latest appearance for Valencia.

The 23-year-old is on loan with the La Liga club from Liverpool, but he has failed to make much of an impact, having not yet started a game this season, and has come in for some harsh criticism from the Spanish media.

Elliott was once again named on the bench as Valencia came up against Villarreal on Saturday before making his way onto the pitch with 20 minutes to go. He wouldn’t see out the remainder of the game, though, having been shown red in the strangest manner.

Elliott appeared to pick up his first yellow card in the 89th minute for arguing with the referee after his teammate Filip Ugrinic was pulled up for a foul. While the television broadcast was busy showing a replay of the challenge, Elliott managed to pick up a second booking and was given his marching orders, leaving plenty in disbelief.

Valencia boss Javier Aguirre was left raging with the decision, although he seemed to absolve Elliott of any fault after the game.

“The sending off of Harvey Elliott is absurd, ridiculous. I’ve already let him know that,” Aguirre said.

“It’s not his fault, it’s my fault for putting out the players I put out. I decide who and how they play. I’ll talk to him and tell him what I need to tell him.”

The sending-off won’t help Elliott’s cause in Valencia, and it certainly didn’t help his teammates. Villarreal went on to take advantage, with Georges Mikautadze - fresh from scoring against Liverpool in the Champions League in midweek - grabbing a 96th-minute winner as the visitors came away from the Mestalla with a 2-1 victory.

It was a huge missed opportunity for Valencia, with the hosts having led 1-0 for much of the game after Pepelu’s first-half penalty.

Alex Freeman leveled the scores shortly before Elliott made his way onto the pitch, although Villarreal were reduced to 10 men themselves after Pape Gueye’s red card in the 79th minute.

Elliott’s sending-off continues what has been a miserable year for the England U21 international, having endured a nightmare campaign on loan at Aston Villa last season.

Liverpool reportedly met with Valencia officials earlier this week to discuss his progress, and while the Spanish club is said to be still holding confidence that Elliott can show his quality this season, more is expected from him in the weeks and months ahead - although he will now have to sit out the club’s next game.

Valencia is currently 19th in La Liga, with just one win all season. Only Malaga sits below Valencia in the league table.