Unai Emery shares Emi Martinez injury update ahead of Aston Villa v Olympiacos
Emi Martinez has travelled to Greece and could be in contention to start for Aston Villa against Olympiacos, Unai Emery has confirmed.
The Argentine missed the first leg at Villa Park but Emery has said a decision will come tomorrow on him starting the away tie.
Express & Star journalist Matt Maher said that the Spaniard seemed “reluctant” to say whether or not Martinez would feature but confirmed he had travelled with the squad.
Given the importance of the game, the Villa number one will be hopeful of being “100 per cent fit” and named in the starting XI.
How important could Emi Martinez be for Aston Villa v Olympiacos?
There is no doubt about the impact that Martinez has on the Villans when he is in goal. The difference when he’s missing is so obvious.
With the Argentine missing for the semi-final first leg, Robin Olsen stepped in and after conceding four, it was clear what Villa missed.
The Swede conceded four and was only able to make one save throughout the game. He faced just 2.03 xG and conceded an additional 1.97 goals which is a poor record [FotMob].
In his last Conference League appearance, Martinez had 87 touches of the ball and conceded 1.90 xG, just a 0.10 difference compared to Olsen [FotMob].
Martinez brings calmness to the Villa back line as he isn’t afraid to put his foot on the ball and take his time to make a pass.
This saw him take 87 touches against Lille and make 76 passes throughout the game with a 78 per cent accuracy.
Everyone associated with the Villans will be hopeful that the World’s Number One will be in between the sticks for the semi-final.
If Emery’s men are to turn around a two-goal deficit they need all they’re best players featuring.
In other Aston Villa news, ‘worst-case scenario’ mooted for Europa Conference League clash v Olympiacos.
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