The reason for Pau Torres’ Aston Villa benching against Olympiacos before of Sunday’s Premier League match at Brighton.
Unai Emery has stated that Pau Torres was benched for Aston Villa’s 4-2 defeat to Olympiacos to provide some relief from the club’s hectic game schedule.
The centre-back was an unexpected absence from the starting lineup as the Villans faced their first European semi-final in 42 years, in the Europa Conference League. Emiliano Martinez’s suspension was already a significant blow, but the absence of Pau, as well as his failure to appear off the bench, surprised many.
Olympiacos dominated the evening under the lights due to defensive mistakes from the claret and blue team. Ayoub El Kaabi, a Moroccan international forward, showed no compassion as he scored an excellent hat-trick, securing a two-goal lead for the second leg in Greece.
However, Emery, who concedes there were no positives to take from the game, insists the defeat was not due to the absence of players such as Pau and Martinez.
“We are playing a lot of matches and we need players,” Emery said when asked why Pau did not participate. “We didn’t lose today because he didn’t play, nor did Diego Carlos, Emiliano, or others. We play with the same players at times, but not always,” the head coach explained.
Pau is anticipated to return to the Villa XI as they travel to Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League on Sunday. Martinez’s participation in the World Cup is uncertain due to a hamstring injury. Meanwhile, Youri Tielemans is scheduled to have a late fitness test.
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