As a few Aston Villa players are away on international duty, manager Dean Smith currently prepares for their challenge against Wolverhampton Wanderers, which is taking place at Villa Park on the 16th of October.
And despite having Emiliano Martinez being the number one choice for the goalkeeping position, it seems they’ll need to use an alternative, as the 29-year-old is unlikely to be available in time.
The player is currently with Argentina’s squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Paraguay, Uruguay and Peru. And even though reports said Premier League clubs would like their players to return to England early, it seems it’s not happening, at least according to manager Lionel Scaloni.
“Before the game with Veneuzela I said that they came to play all three games, but then problems arose and I released them,” said Lionel Scaloni about the last call up, when Martinez was able to return to Europe early (via TyC Sports).
“In this case it’s totally different. They’re about to play all three games and under no circumstances will they leave earlier.”
Argentina’s game against Peru takes place on the night of the 14th of October, morning of the 15th in the UK. Martinez would basically have one day to get back to England, join Aston Villa’s squad and be ready to face Wolves.
That, given the long flight back, seems very unlikely indeed.
In September, Martinez missed a clash against Chelsea due to the quarantine rules. Now even though there’s a new protocol for players returning, he should be left out for a new reason.
