Tom Cleverley will expose a loophole in football regulations by serving his suspension for a fifth booking of the season when Aston Villa face Manchester United in a game he was ineligible for anyway.

The midfielder, on loan at Villa, received a yellow card for a first-half foul on Silvestre Varela in the defeat at West Bromwich Albion to trigger an automatic one-match suspension.

But Villa's next game comes against United on Saturday and as per Premier League rules Cleverley is unable to play against his parent club.

Tom Cleverley (right) slides in to tackle West Brom's Brown Ideye during Saturday's 1-0 defeat

Cleverley (right) is banned from playing against former club Manchester United due to the terms of his loan

Cleverley will be available for Villa's Boxing Day clash with Swansea

Football Association laws do not make specific reference to such circumstances, however, so Cleverley will serve his ban against Louis van Gaal's team and be available for Villa's Boxing Day game at Swansea.

The FA would not intervene as the loan agreement is ultimately between the two clubs concerned. It appears Cleverley's tackle was perhaps well-timed after all.

Paul Lambert will be pleased his midfielder only misses the United game, with Kieran Richardson set to serve a three-match ban for his straight red card at The Hawthorns. Ashley Westwood is out for the next three weeks with a knee injury and Fabian Delph only returned to action on Saturday after a two-month lay-off.

Alan Hutton will be suspended for the visit of United too after picking up his fifth booking of the season against West Brom.