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EMI MARTINEZ INJURY UPDATE: CAN ASTON VILLA STAR RECOVER IN TIME FOR MAN UTD

Emi Martinez vs Man Utd: From failed summer transfers to a race for fitness, get the full story on Villa’s No. 1 right here.

Emi Martinez Injury Update: Can Aston Villa Star Recover in Time for Man Utd
Huge Team News Ahead of Villa Park Man Utd Clash

This weekend, Aston Villa is playing Manchester United at Villa Park, but there's a question mark over whether their goalie, Emi Martinez, will be well enough to play.

He had to leave the Brighton game early this month during warm-ups. He did play against Arsenal a few days later, but then he was out for the West Ham game and the Europa League game against Basel. So, people are wondering if he’s ready to start again.

Apparently, Martinez wanted to move to Manchester United over the summer, so he might want to play well if he gets the chance.

Also, he got a red card the last time these teams played because of a foul on Rasmus Hojlund, which kind of hurt Villa's chances of getting into the Champions League.

It turns out Martinez has been dealing with a back injury for a few weeks now, which is why he hasn't been playing.

On December 14, the Villa coach, Unai Emery, said that he was hoping Martinez could start training the following week before the Manchester United game.

We'll have to wait and see if that happened and if Emery thinks he’s ready to go.

Emery seems to trust the backup goalie, Marco Bizot, but he has allowed six goals in the last three games he’s played.

Even though Villa has won all three of those games, they can still win even if Martinez isn't playing.

StadiumNest thinks Villa would prefer to have Martinez back for this game, but they've been playing well lately, so they might be okay either way.

Emery’s team has won nine games in a row and has been dealing with other injuries, too, not just Martinez. So, they're looking strong.

Since Manchester United just had a 4-4 tie with Bournemouth, and Bizot hasn't been playing great, Martinez being out could mean there will be a lot of goals scored.

Transfermarkt says Martinez is worth about €15 million.

CONOR GALLAGHER CONFIRMED AS "VITAL" STARTER FOR SPURS FOLLOWING BENTANCUR’S INJURY LAYOFF

Conor Gallagher proved the doubters wrong against Man City. Discover why his €40m move to Tottenham is finally paying off for Spurs.

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Conor Gallagher secured first Spurs assist as Tottenham snatched a point at City

Chelsea and Atletico Madrid both decided Conor Gallagher wasn’t worth the trouble. At Chelsea, he had his moments—Pochettino liked him, but the fans never really warmed up. When Chelsea shipped him off to Atletico, it made sense. Enzo Fernandez stepped up, took over Gallagher’s role, and fit in perfectly next to Caicedo, with Cole Palmer adding that extra spark up front.

Things didn’t get much better for Gallagher in Spain. He barely got a chance at Atleti, lost his spot in the starting eleven, and pretty much ended up on the transfer list before anyone had time to blink. Interest was lukewarm at best until the winter window rolled around. Aston Villa wanted him and went after him pretty aggressively, but then Tottenham swooped in late. Spurs needed someone to patch up the midfield after Bentancur’s injury, so they just paid up—40 million euros, no hesitation.

His start at Tottenham? Rough. Honestly, that was to be expected. He’d played well at Palace before, but after his struggles at Atleti, he needed time to adjust. Sitting on the bench in Spain didn’t do him any favours.

Then Gallagher showed up. People doubted whether he could really add creativity and move the ball forward for Spurs, so his early struggles got people worried. But then came the 2-2 draw against Manchester City. He suddenly looked like the player both Ange Postecoglou and Thomas Frank were so desperate to sign.

Against City, Gallagher flipped the script. He set up a crucial assist, drove play forward on the dribble, and kept drawing fouls—everything the Spurs needed. Defensively, he was all over the place in a good way: two tackles, three interceptions, a full 90 minutes, and a huge part of the Spurs clawing their way back into the game.

Tottenham fans loved it. They saw the effort, the attitude, and the hunger to win. Gallagher just wouldn’t quit, and in that second half, he, Xavi Simons, Pape Matar Sarr, Destiny Udogie, and Dominic Solanke ran the show. Four of those guys have been carrying Spurs lately, so Gallagher is fitting right in with them. That’s a pretty good sign he’s going to work out just fine in North London.

AC MILAN MEDICAL FAILURE: THE HIDDEN KNEE INJURY THAT CRUSHED MATETA’S £30M MOVE

Jean-Philippe Mateta's £30m move to AC Milan is OFF. Discover why a failed medical has put his France World Cup dreams in jeopardy.

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Mateta’s "dream move" suddenly turned toxic.

Jean Philippe-Mateta’s got a real headache right now. The Crystal Palace striker just watched his £30 million dream move to AC Milan blow up at the last minute, all because a knee problem showed up during his medical.

The thing is, Mateta’s been carrying this injury for a while. Now he’s stuck: should he go under the knife and try to recover in time for the World Cup? He wants to make the France squad this summer, but nothing’s guaranteed. Even if he has surgery, there’s no telling if he’ll be fit enough—or have enough time on the pitch—to convince Didier Deschamps he deserves a spot.

The injury’s been dragging him down anyway. It’s messing with his form and his game time, and he’s worried he won’t get a real shot at proving himself for France if he isn’t at his best.

It’s tough because he’s coming off a fantastic year at Palace. FA Cup winner, big goals, helped the club reach Europe—it’s been a dream run. But now he might have to go back to Selhurst Park, even though he’s made it clear he’s had enough and wants out.

Honestly, it feels like only a matter of time before he leaves. His contract runs out next summer, and Palace can’t risk losing him for nothing. They’ve already watched Marc Guehi go to Man City for a bargain, just because his deal was running down.

Now Mateta has to sit down with Palace and the doctors to figure out what to do about his knee. Surgery would sideline him for months, probably killing his World Cup chances.

He’s gutted about Milan falling through, especially after Juventus cooled their interest and Nottingham Forest had an offer turned down. Over the weekend, he even unfollowed Palace on Instagram and posted a fed-up emoji. No one really knows if he’ll even make the squad for the Brighton game.

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