Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has confirmed that Emiliano Martinez is dealing with a small calf injury, and a decision will be made on him on Saturday ahead of our clash with Burnley.
The 30-year-old was replaced at half-time in our 5-0 win at Hibernian on Wednesday night, and so there was concern that he had aggravated an existing problem or picked up a fresh knock.
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Speaking ahead of our trip to Burnley on Sunday, Emery has now confirmed that it is a calf injury, and although he has played down the severity of it, it could yet sideline the Argentine shot-stopper this weekend.
Martinez now faces a late fitness test on Saturday to determine whether or not he will be available, but naturally, it’s not something that Villa will want to take a risk on, as it could lead to a lengthier spell out.
“We are going to wait until tomorrow,” Emery told the media, as per the Athletic. “He (Martinez) has a small pain in his calf. Small. It’s not big.
“But we have to take our time and tomorrow the last training before the Sunday match is the day to take the decision whether is going to be ready or not.”
Should Villa’s No.1 be ruled out, Robin Olsen will step in and fill that void, and he’ll hopefully have settled into the position a bit better in midweek after 45 minutes at Hibernian.
There will always be a drop off from a player of Martinez’s quality given not only his goalkeeping skills but his organisation and leadership qualities at the back, but the experienced Swede has faced criticism since he arrived for being a nervy presence between the posts.
Emery has shown faith in him this year by opting not to bring in another goalkeeper as of yet despite Viljami Sinisalo also moving out on loan for the campaign, and so if Olsen is indeed called into action, it’s hoped that he can put in a strong performance and provide assurances that he can fill in effectively when needed.
For now though, the hope is that Martinez is able to overcome his issue and is confirmed as being at Emery’s disposal on Sunday afternoon.
Meanwhile, Villa also confirmed that Nicolo Zaniolo will be available to make his debut at Turf Moor, and it’s hoped that the 24-year-old Italian international gets minutes at some stage to help with his ongoing integration.