Overview
- Martínez admitted he broke a finger in pre-match warm-ups and still started the Europa League final on May 21, making two saves as Aston Villa beat Freiburg 3-0.
- National-team insiders reported that medical scans show a hairline fracture that does not require surgery and carries an approximate 20-day recovery timeline.
- The recovery is expected to rule Martínez out of Aston Villa’s final Premier League fixture and Argentina’s immediate pre-World Cup friendlies.
- Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni is still expected to name Martínez as his starting goalkeeper, with reports saying the staff may add a fourth goalkeeper to the delegation as a contingency or training partner.
- Martínez, 33, has been Villa’s first-choice keeper since 2020 with more than 250 appearances and was instrumental in Argentina’s 2022 World Cup win, which shapes the decision to protect his place for the title defence.