Unai Emery has spoken to the media ahead of Aston Villa’s fourth-round replay against Chelsea at Villa Park on Wednesday evening, giving a positive review on Pau Torres’ status.
Aston Villa are back in action on Wednesday evening as the Villans host Chelsea at Villa Park in the fourth-round replay of the FA Cup.
Unai Emery’s side were held to a 0-0 draw against the Blues at Stamford Bridge last month, allowing the Spaniard’s high-flying side the chance to progress in front of a home crowd.
The manager provided injury updates on the defence in his press conference, shedding light on the fitness status of both Pau Torres and Ezri Konsa.
What Unai Emery told the media about Pau Torres ahead of Chelsea
In a negative, yet expected, light, Emery confirmed that Konsa will be out for “three or four weeks” with a knee sprain however, the Villans may not be as short at the back as anticipated.
With relief, the Spaniard revealed that Pau has returned to training and is available to play a part in the cup tie against Chelsea.
“Pau Torres has started training with the group and he is going to be on the bench tomorrow.”
It will be refreshing to have the centre-back once again included in the squad, after suffering setbacks from an ankle injury he sustained in mid-December.
With Konsa out of contention, the return of Pau will be celebrated by the Villans, with the 6 foot 3 acting as a reliable source at the back since his arrival in the Midlands last summer.
Emery calls on the fans to create a special atmosphere
As well as providing an update on his squad’s fitness, the manager called on the supporters at Villa Park to get behind the team on Wednesday night on what could be a crucial result in the season.
“We want to win. We want to impose our gameplan, we want to impose as well our skills.”
“We will need the supporters, the players, our best performances, our best support in the stadium.”
With Pau set to ease into his return, and options there for rotation if need be, Villa will hope to set the tone on what could be a particularly memorable week for the club, with FA Cup and Premier League action coming.
Pau’s return comes at a crucial point in the season, particularly after the hammer blow of the news of Konsa’s absence.
