Aston Villa will contact Emiliano Martinez after the World Cup final to determine whether he will be available for their return to Premier League action.
Martinez has been one of Argentina’s stars during their run to Sunday’s showpiece match in Qatar, but he will not have a long turnaround until his next Villa game. Unai Emery’s side host Liverpool at Villa Park on Boxing Day, eight days after Argentina face France at the Lusail Stadium.
Villa would like to count on their goalkeeper for that game, but will wait for the outcome of the final before determining his state of mind. The Daily Mail reports that Martinez’s influence is such in the Villa dressing room that he is in line to succeed John McGinn as the team’s captain, were the Scottish midfielder to struggle for game time under Emery.
