Unai Emery explains surprise Aston Villa decision after Olympiacos defeat

Unai Emery has confirmed Pau Torres was benched for the 4-2 defeat to Olympiacos to offer some reprieve from Aston Villa’s busy fixture schedule.

The centre-back was a surprise omission from the starting lineup as the Villans took on their first continental semi-final in 42 years, in the Europa Conference League. Emiliano Martinez’s suspension was already a big blow but seeing no Pau was a huge surprise for most, as was him not even making an appearance off the bench.

It was a calamitous evening under the lights as an abundance of defensive mishaps from the men in claret and blue enabled Olympiacos to run riot. Morroco international forward Ayoub El Kaabi showed no mercy as he scored an impressive hat-trick, the key to taking home a two-goal advantage for the second leg in Athens.

But Emery, who admits there were no positives to take from the game whatsoever, claims the defeat was not down to the likes of Pau and Martinez being absent.

“We are playing a lot of matches and we need players,” Emery replied when asked why Pau didn’t play. “We didn’t lose today because he’s not playing, or Diego Carlos, or Emiliano, or others. We are playing sometimes with the same players, sometimes not,” the head coach said.

It’s expected Pau will return to the XI as Villa travel away to Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League this Sunday. It awaits to be seen if Martinez will play a part as the World Cup winner is touch-and-go with a hamstring issue. Youri Tielemans, meanwhile, faces a late fitness test.