Aston Villa to make late call on Emi Martinez and Emi Buendia

Posted Friday, September 17, 2021 by PA

Emi Buendia and Emi Martinez will be assessed when they return from Croatia on Saturday, just hours before Aston Villa play Everton.

The pair have been training in Croatia to avoid being forced to quarantine after international duty with Argentina and Villa boss Dean Smith will make a late call on their availability.

Youngsters Jaden Philogene-Bidace and Carney Chukwuemeka are injured for the hosts.

Everton remain without Dominic Calvert-Lewin but James Rodriguez might be involved for the first time this season.

Calvert-Lewin now has a quadriceps injury to add to the broken toe he was nursing and it looks like he could be out for up to three weeks.

Rodriguez, who was heavily linked with a move away from Goodison Park during the transfer window and has yet to be involved under Rafael Benitez, has been training with his team-mates and the 2014 World Cup Golden Boot winner could be on the bench on Saturday.

Aston Villa provisional squad: Martinez, Steer, Cash, Targett, Konsa, Mings, Hause, Tuanzebe, Young, Luiz, McGinn, Nakamba, Sanson, El Ghazi, Ramsey, Buendia, Bailey, Watkins, Ings, Traore.

Everton provisional squad: Pickford, Coleman, Keane, Holgate, Digne, Allan, Doucoure, Townsend, Gray, Richarlison, Begovic, Lonergan, Mina, Godfrey, Gomes, Iwobi, Davies, Rondon, Gordon.