'Believe and trust him' - Unai Emery praises Emi Martinez's commitment to Aston Villa after latest injury woe
Unai Emery says he can believe Emi Martinez’s commitment to Villa by looking into the goalkeeper’s eye after praising his willingness to play through the pain barrier.
Martinez was forced out of Wednesday’s 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace with a calf injury and will not feature in Saturday’s FA Cup tie at Tottenham.
It was the sixth time the Argentina international has gone off at the break in his Villa career, while he was also forced to pull out of matches in the warm-up earlier this season at Feyenoord and Brighton due to injury concerns.
Martinez’s future at the club was in serious doubt last summer amid interest from Manchester United but has gone on to play his part in Villa’s impressive season so far.
And Emery, who revealed the 33-year-old passed a late fitness test in order to start at Palace, has no fears over this commitment.
The Villa boss: “He played on Wednesday knowing he has a small injury and he did the effort to play.
“For him it is easier to decide not to play, but he played. The first half he was not feeling good.
“It was his choice to play the second half, but because he is in the risk to get the worse injury, we decided with the doctor to stop him.
“But he is doing a really good effort and is helping the team.
“Now I am happy with him. I am seeing him like I want. After last summer, it was difficult for everybody and him as well. Now I can face him and see his eyes and believe and trust him.”
Emery also reserved praise for back-up Marco Bizot, who once again stepped up at short notice to play his part in Villa’s first clean sheet for nine matches.
Bizot replaced Robin Olsen as the club’s No.2 when he joined from Brest last summer.
Emery said: “Being the back-up of Emi Martinez is not easy. How is responding, being patient and ready to play when we need him is really fantastic.
“It is even more when Emi is trying to play and not being available, like in the second half at Palace.
“Marco, knowing it, has to be ready to play or not and has to be ready to perform at the level we are.
“As a person, how he is doing his task and his role in the squad is really fantastic. The respect he has in the dressing room as a person is massive.”
