Aston Villa v Cardiff City FA Cup injury news with 6 out and 4 doubts

Premier League heavyweights Aston Villa could be without as many as six players when they take on Cardiff City in the fifth round of the FA Cup.

Unai Emery’s men play host to the Welsh side in an intriguing Friday night game under the lights at Villa Park as they look to make amends for their dismal 4-1 defeat away to Crystal Palace in their last league outing.

The fixture takes place just days before Villa’s all-important trip to Belgium to face Club Brugge in the Champions League round-of-16, but still offers huge significance due to the lucrative cash prize available to both teams if they progress to the quarter-final of the FA Cup.

Emery faces a whole host of selection dilemmas heading into the game as he decides whether to prioritise Europe or English Football’s oldest domestic cup prize.

Aston Villa injury news

Spanish defender Pau Torres misses out with a foot injury that he sustained in the early moments of a 2-2 draw with Brighton back in December. Unai Emery claimed the 28-year-old would miss six to eight weeks with the injury, meaning he is on course to return in mid-March.

Joining him on the sidelines is midfielder Boubacar Kamara, who has at times been forced to act as a makeshift centre half. The Frenchman is nursing a thigh injury but the exact timeframe of his injury has not yet been determined, with Emery commenting: “I don’t know now (how serious) but I think it is not a lot.”

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Similarly summer signing Amadou Onana remains in the treatment room with a thigh problem. The ex-Everton man played 45 minutes of the 2-0 defeat to Wolves but has missed the last four league games. He too is expected to return by mid-March.

Meanwhile, fellow midfielder Ross Barkley, another summer signing from Everton, is out with a calf problem that has ruled him out of the last seven games. He faces a late fitness test to decide if he is ready to be reintroduced to the matchday squad against Cardiff with Club Brugge also on the horizon.

Emiliano Martinez injury latest

Aston Villa fans are sweating over the fitness of goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez as they prepare for a huge double header in both the FA Cup and Champions League.

The 2022 World Cup winner was forced off at half time during his side’s dismal 4-1 defeat to Crystal Palace. He didn't re-emerge from the dressing room for the beginning of the second half and was replaced by deputy Robin Olsen.

Unai Emery confirmed after the game that Martinez had picked up a complaint in training prior to the Palace game, but after coming through the warm-up pre-match at Selhurst Park okay, he was cleared to start the game.

Commenting after the game, Emery said: “He was feeling yesterday a little bit of pain. He trained and today he felt good in the warm-up. In the first half he told us he was feeling some pain so we decided to change him. I don't exactly (the injury). We have to test him."

Cardiff injury news

Cardiff City will be without goalkeeper Jak Alnwick for the rest of the season after he tore his hamstring. He joins long-term absentee David Turnbull on the sidelines. Will Alves, Joe Ralls and Jasper Daland are also doubts after missing Tuesday’s 1-0 win over over Hull City.

"Jak's had a bad tear in his hamstring. That will rule him out probably until the end of the season," said Cardiff manager Omer Riza. "It's a shame for him and a shame for us because he's been excellent. But Ethan has got a lot of experience and he's been waiting patiently so it's an opportunity for him."