Aston Villa: Unai Emery set for new boost v Ajax as Pau Torres update emerges at Bodymoor Heath
Aston Villa have one of their biggest tests of the season on the horizon, with a trip to Amsterdam to face Ajax in the Europa Conference League their next fixture.
Unai Emery’s side are enjoying one of their best campaigns in recent memory, topping their European group and looking set to confirm their place in next season’s Champions League with a top-four finish in the Premier League.
While Ajax have had a poor start to the season domestically, they are still and Dutch and European giant and Emery will know that his side will have to be at their best, despite new injuries, to bring a lead back from the Johan Cruyff Arena on Thursday (7 March).
However, Villa may have received a huge boost to their hopes after Pau Torres was spotted in full first-team training in new training footage published by the club via their X page on Tuesday (5 March).
Torres has struggled with injury issues in recent weeks and was only fit enough to make the bench against Luton Town last time out, but it appears as though the Spanish defender has remained injury-free and could return to the starting XI against Ajax.
Is Pau Torres fit to start for Aston Villa against Ajax in the Conference League?
Torres has been crucial to Emery and Villa’s success this season with his commanding performances at centre-back. In his last full 90 minutes against Fulham, the 27-year-old won 100 per cent of his ground duels and completed more passes than any other player, according to Fotmob.
The centre-back helps Villa build from the back as well with his impressive range of passing as he found a teammate in the final third with seven of his efforts, many of which allowed Ollie Watkins to find his way behind Fulham’s defence.
Although he could only manage a half before succumbing to injury against Nottingham Forest, Torres completed 92 per cent of his 40 attempted passes and also won 100 per cent of his aerial duels against the imposing Taiwo Awoniyi.
There are few centre-backs in the Premier League more capable of carrying the ball out of defence than the 27-year-old who places in the 96th percentile of his positional peers for progressive dribbling distance per 90 minutes, according to Fbref.
It isn’t easy to tackle Torres either as he places in the top four per cent of defenders for successful take-ons per game, averaging 0.76 a match this season in the Premier League.
Defensively, the Spanish defender isn’t too imposing, making fewer tackles a game than 88 per cent of centre-backs, but that isn’t a negative as he places in the 78th percentile for errors this season, having yet to make an error leading to a goal.
Will Unai Emery start Pau Torres against Ajax?
Whether or not Emery will throw Torres back into the starting XI on Thursday remains to be seen, but his presence in training shows that he can’t be too far away from making a full return to the Villa side.
If the Spanish manager opts to leave him on the bench in Ajax, it wouldn’t be a shock to see him return to the fold against Tottenham in what could be a decisive match in the race for the top four this term.
In other Aston Villa news, Alan Hutton has suggested that Unai Emery is ready to take Villa to the next level in the transfer window
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