When Aston Villa and Derby County meet at in the Championship play-off final at Wembley on Monday with a place in the Premier League stake, you feel that the influence of players plucked on loan deals from the top flight could be decisive in which of these two sides claims the 20th and final spot at next season's top flight table.

For Villa, the likes of Tammy Abraham, Tyrone Ming and Axel Tuanzebe have all been vital in securing a return to Wembley during their temporary spells at Villa Park this season. Derby meanwhile have the likes of Liverpool's Harry Wilson and Chelsea duo Fikayo Tomori and Mason Mount to thank for helping them move within 90 minutes of a return to the promised land.

But while the contribution of these players could be so crucial to the futures of their clubs in the next week or so, it is worth remembering that for many of those aforementioned loan players, this game will be just as decisive in where they find themselves when the whistle blows for the start of the new season in August.

Something evident by the recent comments of one of Villa's loanees, who hasn't even come from the Premier League.

When L'Equipe reported recently that midfielder Anwar El Ghazi is not part of parent-club Lille's long term plans, it looked as though Villa were at least in a strong position to keep one of their loanees if they fail to win promotion to the Premier League.

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With Villa likely to need to keep as much of this squad together as possible if they are to have to push for promotion from the Championship next season, that at least looked to be a significant boost amongst suggestions that the likes of Abraham and Mings will not return to the Championship next season.

Now however it looks as though even keeping El Ghazi at Villa Park could depend on winning promotion, after the midfielder told Dutch Show VTBL that he has offers from other Premier League clubs on the table.

Once again therefore, Villa find themselves facing the prospect of having to make sure they are promoted if they are to keep one of those who has already taken them so close to the promised land, since they will surely be unable to challenge for players, both financially and competitively, if they are in the Championship again next season.

Without the likes of Abraham, Mings and El Ghazi returning next season, it seems unlikely that Villa with have little hope of being in this or an even stronger position this time next year, particularly given the need for that club record ten game winning run between March and April to even get them into the play-offs.

Both Villa and Derby have shown the benefits that using the loan can have for a Championship side this season, but one of them will soon come to realise the long term risk of employing such a strategy if promotion is not achieved.

Villa will be hoping they are not that side.