Tim Iroegbunam has been a regular in Queens Park Rangers' side since joining on loan from Aston Villa in the summer but the Hoops could potentially lose him back to his parent club in January.

According to BirminghamLive journalist Ashley Preece, new Villa boss Unai Emery is monitoring the progress of the teenage midfielder, and the Villans do have the option to recall him in the January transfer window.

The Championship is set to resume this weekend after being suspended for the World Cup break and Iroegbunam will be hoping to keep his place in midfield, having featured in 13 Championship games so far this campaign.

His performances have earned him a solid 6.67 rating from WhoScored, which is very impressive given that this is his first season in senior football, although that may prove enough to convince Emery that he is worth bringing back to the Premier League.

The Michael Beale factor proved instrumental in bringing the 19-year-old gem to Loftus Road in the first place and now that he is gone, it could prove difficult to keep the young talent in west London.

Journalist Ian McCullough was full of praise for Iroegbunam and his potential earlier this season in an interview with BirminghamLive. He said:

“Villa certainly have a player on their hands in Tim Iroegbunam. Although he has started just two games out of the five he has been available for since arriving on transfer deadline day, his ability to run with the ball from midfield and use those long legs to win tackles have been eye-catching.

“In possession, he is very tidy and blessed with an excellent first touch giving credence to Mick Beale’s claim that he has the tools to play at the very highest level in years to come.”

Iroegbunam ranks joint-fourth for tackles, joint-third for dribbles and fifth for shots per game when compared to the rest of QPR's squad, which emphasises the impact he is having all over the pitch.

After already losing Beale, QPR will be desperately hoping that they aren't weakened further in January should Villa recall Iroegbunam, as the teenager is only just starting to show what he is capable of at Loftus Road.