Aston Villa will be sweating on fitness of Emi Martinez v Fulham after Robin Olsen struggles
Unai Emery will be crossing his fingers that Emi Martinez will be deemed fit to feature for Aston Villa in the upcoming Premier League clash against Fulham on Tuesday (25 April).
The Argentine goalkeeper was subbed off at half-time of Villa’s 1-1 draw against Brentford at the weekend and remains a doubt for what could be a crucial match in the club’s European ambitions this season.
Injury expert Ben Dinnery has now labelled Martinez’s chances of featuring at Villa Park as 50%, with a potential return date of 25 April.
Speaking on the injury sustained by Villa’s number one after the match on Saturday, and as shared by Dinnery, Emery said: “Before the match, the last meal, he was feeling bad with his stomach.
“He started the match and played the first half. He wasn’t feeling good [at half-time]. Hopefully, he’ll recover for next match [on Tuesday].”
Considering the stellar form of the World Cup winner – which resulted in six clean sheets from his last eight outings before going off injured – and the struggles of backup goalkeeper Robin Olsen, every corner of the Villa fanbase will be a little worried about the upcoming clash against Fulham.
When coming off the bench against the Bees, Olsen didn’t cover himself in glory, completing just 47% of his passes and finding a teammate with four of his 13 long passes. [Sofascore]
The Swedish international also made a howler when fumbling the ball and subsequently gifting Kevin Schade a free net to poke the ball home into, to which the Brentford striker somehow managed to miss.
Although a drop-off is understandable due to Martinez’s quality, it is one that Emery will still be wary of taking.
So far this season, Olsen has conceded 2.56 goals per 90 minutes, compared to Martinez’s 1.14, while also only managing a save percentage of 63.2% to the Argentine’s 73.5%. [Fbref]
Another interesting strength of Martinez, which Olsen doesn’t seem as comfortable undertaking, is the sweeper-keeper role which has become synonymous with Manuel Neuer over the past decade.
The Villa number one has averaged 1.66 defensive actions outside of his penalty area per 90 minutes this season, while Olsen has managed 0.96 from his time deputising for the Villans.
Considering the stakes for Aston Villa over the coming weeks, Martinez’s fitness for the crunch clash against Fulham, and the matches beyond, is simply imperative.
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