In order to keep pace with Arsenal and Manchester City in the Premier League title race, Aston Villa must bag all three points from the Sunday fixture at home to Everton. A draw would be a disappointing result and a loss, obviously, would be disastrous. Villa manager Unai Emery met the media earlier today, and he provided injury updates on the following quartet: Emiliano Martinez (foot), Amadou Onana (thigh), Boubacar Kamara (knee) and Ross Barkley (knee).
Everyone except Martinez is ruled out for this weekend. As for the other three, Emery’s comments today might give us a better timeframe as to when they could return.
Aston Villa vs Everton FC
Kickoff: 4:30pm, Sun. Jan. 18, Villa Park, Birmingham, UK
Team News: Aston Villa Everton
Result Probability: Everton 18% Aston Villa 58% Draw 24%
PL Standing, Form: Everton 12th, 29 pts LDWLD Aston Villa 3rd, 43 pts, WWLWD
Villa Team News
Let’s start with Emi Martinez, as Emery stated on Friday: “He is progressing well, but tomorrow we’ll assess him to see if he’ll be available for Sunday or not.” So that situation is touch and go.
Barkley will not get the chance to face his former club here, as Emery officially ruled him out, before then saying that he is “progressing very well. In a few weeks, (perhaps) he can be training with us.”
Elsewhere Kamara “Of course, is out,” said Emery. “It’s his knee. We’re checking him – he’s visiting some doctors as well. We’re going to know about him in a few days. Now, he’s not available, and maybe for a long time, hopefully not so, so long time, but we’re checking him.”
Finally, with Onana, Emery ruled him out, but said that “maybe even next week, can be training with us.”
So he is not too far away at this point.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, RG.org and Ratings.org. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.