Unai Emery confirms why Pau Torres was taken off at half-time in the 0-0 draw against Ajax in the Europa Conference League.
It was a tense first leg in Amsterdam as Villa looked to make their way to the final of the Conference League.
In a game of few chances, Ajax gave Emery’s side multiple frights in the round of 16 tie.
Then, in an action-packed first half, both sides went down to 10 players as both Ezri Konsa and Tristan Gooijer were given double yellows for separate incidents.
However, perhaps the most frightening part of the game came at the start of the second half. Pau Torres, who has struggled with injuries in 2024, was taken off at half-time for Matty Cash.
The Spaniard has become a vital player for Villa since signing in the summer and no doubt any injury would affect the remainder of their campaign.
After the game, Emery went on to confirm why the defender was subbed off at the break.
Pau Torres’ substitution planned
There were plenty of talking points after the game for Emery to look over. However, a topic Villa fans were happy to see confirmed was Pau Torres’ substitution.
Journalist John Townley reported that Emery said: “He had a small injury two weeks ago. We did a plan with him. I think tactically as well we needed to change something. The plan was to play 45 minutes with Pau Torres.”
Thankfully, despite the substitution, Villa managed to hold out and keep a clean sheet against the Dutch giants.
Despite some close calls, Villa should now go into Villa Park as the favourites in the second leg and seal a spot in the quarter-finals.
No injury is a relief for Villa fans
Torres’ fitness is vital for the rest of Villa’s campaign. Anything less than Champions League qualification or Europa Conference League victory would go down as a disappointment after such a good season.
Luckily, Villa are on track to do both. However, the fitness of their stars is of utmost importance in order to see this through.
Every time Torres plays, the backline looks far more assured and less perceptible to mistakes. Whereas if he doesn’t play, they always look shaky.
Hopefully, Emery and his backroom staff will be able to manage his fitness until the end of the season.
