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Martinez Plays Through Broken Finger as Villa Win Europa League

Scheduled scans will determine Martinez's fitness for Aston Villa's remaining fixtures and Argentina's World Cup plans.

Overview

  • Aston Villa beat Freiburg 3-0 to win the Europa League, claiming their first major European trophy in 30 years in a match played on Wednesday.
  • Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez said he broke a finger during pre-match warmups but, after a physio check, chose to play the full final and made two saves in the win.
  • Martinez confirmed the injury to reporters after the match and further medical scans have been scheduled to assess any risk of aggravation.
  • ESPN Argentina reporting, cited by other outlets, says insiders expect Martinez to be available for Villa’s final Premier League match and for Argentina’s pre-tournament duty, though that assessment is contingent on scan results.
  • Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni is reportedly considering River Plate’s Santiago Beltran as an extra training goalkeeper for the World Cup delegation, a non-playing contingency because FIFA tournament squads are capped at 26 players.