Unai Emery Confirms Pau Torres Injury for Start of 2025
Unai Emery has confirmed a significant setback for Aston Villa as Pau Torres is set to miss the next two months after it was confirmed he has suffered a broken metatarsal. The Spanish defender sustained the injury during the first half of Villa’s 2-2 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion at Villa Park on December 30.
Torres has been a mainstay in Emery’s side, starting 18 league matches and logging the fourth-most minutes of any Villa player in the Premier League this season. His composure on the ball and ability to build from the back have been key to Emery’s tactical evolution. However, despite his presence, Villa’s defensive record leaves much to be desired. With a negative goal difference in the league and an alarming rate of over two goals conceded per game in away matches, defensive frailties have undermined Villa’s ambitions in the past year.
Speaking on Torres’ injury, Emery stated, “Pau Torres has broken his fourth metatarsal, and he is going to be out for, more or less, two months.”
Emery’s Defensive Rethink
The injury may force Emery to rethink his defensive setup in the short term. While Torres’ absence disrupts Villa’s style of playing out from the back, the reformation of the Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa partnership could be a blessing in disguise. This pairing was instrumental in Villa’s initial resurgence under Emery and could offer a more pragmatic approach to shoring up the defense. While this adjustment might work well in the Premier League, Torres’ absence could be more acutely felt in the Champions League, where his experience and technical ability are vital.
Looking ahead, there’s optimism that Torres could return in time for the Champions League last 16 in March, provided Villa secure a top-eight finish in their group during January. His potential return for the knockout stages would be a timely boost for Emery’s side.
Diego Carlos Fresh Injury
The Konsa-Mings partnership looks likely to get an initial outing against Leicester City at the weekend, with Emery confirming that Diego Carlos will also miss the upcoming match against Foxes due to injury.
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January Transfer Window
With the January transfer window now open, with the PSR situation a serious issue still, the validity of current defensive links is questionable. The club will certainly have to be astute in terms of transfer fees in a January market, where the seller tends to be in the box seat. If Villa can sell players like Louie Barry for reasonable fees, then that would certainly help matters.
While the Torres injury is a blow, it’s not as if Villa’s defence could get much worse in terms of undoing a lot of good on the pitch, so this forced reshuffle could still lead to a more robust defensive foundation heading into 2025.
UTV
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