Unai Emery Dismisses Sancho Future Talk as Villa Eyes Europa League Semis
Unai Emery has parked all discussion over Jadon Sancho’s future. The only thing that matters to him now is 90 more minutes against Bologna.
Aston Villa head into Thursday’s Europa League quarter-final second leg with a 3-1 lead from the first game in Italy, but as the questions turned towards contracts and next season, Emery cut them off at source.
“This is not the time to speak about the future,” he made clear on Wednesday, when pressed about Sancho’s situation.
Sancho arrived on loan from Manchester United at the start of the season, in what is currently the final year of his Old Trafford deal. With his contract running down and free agency looming in June, Borussia Dortmund’s managing director Lars Ricken has already admitted the Bundesliga club are exploring the possibility of taking him back.
Emery is not interested in that storyline. Not yet.
“We are focused 100%, collectively and individually. To speak about the future now does not make sense,” he said. “We spoke a lot during the season with him, about his task with us, how we need his performances, his qualities, but now it is about tomorrow.”
Sancho’s numbers at Villa are modest. Thirty-one appearances, but 14 of those from the bench. Just one goal and three assists in 1,520 minutes. A player still searching for rhythm after stalled spells at United and on loan at Chelsea.
Just when he seemed to be finding it, his momentum broke. A shoulder injury ruled him out of Villa’s last two matches, including that commanding first-leg win in Bologna.
“He is coming back. He is a fantastic player and he needs to be consistent,” Emery said. “He has been demanding and he adapted to our structure. It is a pity in the last two weeks he has been injured, because he finished before the break playing fantastically.”
Sancho is expected to be available again on Thursday, a timely boost as Villa try to finish the job and move into the semi-finals. The stakes are clear. The noise around his next club can wait.
Martinez fit, but Bizot has made his case
If Sancho’s future is clouded, the goalkeeping situation is far more immediate.
Emiliano Martinez, Villa’s World Cup-winning No.1, pulled out of the starting XI just before Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest after suffering a calf problem in the warm-up. Marco Bizot stepped in at short notice and impressed.
Emery liked what he saw.
“He is a fantastic goalkeeper, a fantastic guy, he is ready. He is performing amazingly and we are very proud of him,” the head coach said of Martinez. Then came the nod to Bizot’s response. “Every day we are praying to have everybody available to play. When something happens in the last minute, like Sunday, wow, how well Marco responded.”
Martinez trained on Wednesday and is set to be in the squad for Bologna.
“Today he trained with us. As normal, he is going to be available for tomorrow and tomorrow we will decide,” Emery added.
The decision is a luxury problem for a manager deep in a European run and fighting on multiple fronts. Stick with the established talisman, or reward the deputy who stepped in seamlessly? Either way, Villa go into the tie with authority behind the back line.
Favourites – and they know it
The numbers paint Villa as the team to beat in this competition.
The Opta supercomputer gives Emery’s side a 97% chance of reaching the last four and a 64% chance of making the final. At 42%, they are rated clear favourites to lift the trophy.
Inside the dressing room, the mindset matches the model.
“You play to win it. That’s my mentality and also the mentality of many players in the squad,” said midfielder Youri Tielemans. There was no talk of managing expectations, only of managing emotions. “When you get there, you have to make sure you play the game as well as you can and not think about the end, because that’s where you can get carried away sometimes. We need to keep playing like we do and hopefully win those games.”
Villa have waited a long time to be spoken about as European favourites. Now they must carry that weight, handle the pressure of a strong first-leg lead, and finish off a Bologna side with nothing to lose.
Sancho’s future, Dortmund’s interest, contract deadlines – all of that will resurface soon enough. For Emery, the only question that matters is simpler, and far more immediate: can this team turn promise into a European trophy while the window is wide open?
