Emi Martinez Injury Update
Unai Emery, never one for theatrics but always ready to offer a glimmer of hope, thinks Emi Martínez could make his return to face Fulham this weekend. For every Villa fan who still remembers the tense summer transfer window, this news is bound to come as a sigh of relief.
Martínez missed the Bologna match due to a muscle injury, nothing serious, just the kind of random misfortune that keeps football writers busy and supporters glued to late-night medical updates. John Townley (@johntownley11) reported on Twitter that Unai Emery’s update on Emi Martínez, saying he has a small injury from a kick and missed training yesterday and today. Emery hopes Martínez will be fit to train on Friday or Saturday and play on Sunday.
Marco Bizot kept a clean sheet in his place, which, fair play, second one for the club now after filling in against Newcastle opening weekend, and you love to see a backup step up without making it all about him.
That said, Villa Park still hasn’t seen Martinez between the sticks this year, not after he sat out against Crystal Palace and fueled a fresh wave of exit rumors. Emery, for his part, sounds reassuringly sensible, says it’s a “small injury,” nothing sinister, a knock rather than a tear, and maybe, just maybe, Martínez will be back training by Saturday to get in shape for Sunday. There’s that familiar nervous hope again. If it’s not a hamstring, and it’s not a saga, it feels almost quaintly manageable.
Emery even threw in a compliment to Bizot, tossing out those little lines managers love about confidence and the importance of rotation. All the same, it feels like the real story here isn’t just another matchday injury scare, but it’s about Villa navigating this ridiculous autumn schedule.
Three matches in a week, Fulham and Burnley sandwiched around a Europa League night in the Netherlands. Suddenly, a minor injury becomes a major question mark: who gets to cope and who cracks under the pressure? That’s what this time of year really throws up: unexpected heroes, players forced into the lineup, fans refreshing Twitter and hoping the physios have magic hands. Martínez lovers, don’t fret:
Emery sounds like he’s banking on a speedy recovery. But, as any long-suffering Villa follower knows, nothing is set until the teamsheet drops. So, deep breaths, hang tight, and maybe keep one eye on Marco Bizot, just in case the Sunday miracle doesn’t arrive.
