Unai Emery to hold talks with Emi Martinez regarding his state of mind to play against Tottenham

Unai Emery will hold talks with Emiliano Martinez before deciding whether to include his World Cup-winning goalkeeper against Tottenham on Sunday. 

Martinez returned to Villa’s training ground on Friday for the first time since helping Argentina defeat France in the final in Qatar earlier this month.

Martinez is Villa’s undisputed first-choice goalkeeper but Emery will use the club’s final training sessions before their clash in north London to determine whether he is mentally and physically ready to return to Premier League action.

Unai Emery has told Emiliano Martinez to focus his mind back on Aston Villa after his World Cup glory with Argentina

With the 30-year-old given an extended break after the World Cup, his deputy Robin Olsen took his spot for the 3-1 home defeat by Liverpool on Boxing Day and endured some shaky moments against Jurgen Klopp’s side.

Emery also confirmed that he planned to discuss Martinez’s antics in the wake of the final with his vice-captain. Martinez made an obscene gesture after being awarded the Golden Glove for the tournament’s best keeper, and continued to bait France star Kylian Mbappe in the days that followed.

‘I want to speak with him when he will come here but I am thinking more about his performance and his win, than his celebration,’ said Emery. ‘The celebration is for the supporters, with really big emotions. It’s not really a good moment as a coach to identify why.

The Villa goalkeeper has come under fire for his wild celebrations but Emery wants him to be ready emotionally now

‘I prefer to be focused on how he performed and how he is going to win with us afterwards. I am going to speak with him because I want to control him about that as well — his emotions.

‘We have to have values, we have to focus on behaviour when we are together and with the opposition players.

‘We can speak in 90 per cent of the cases about very good things and be very proud of him, for his performance, for his win. It is about more than small details like celebrations.’

Martinez continued to taunt French star Kylian Mbappe after Argentina beat France in the World Cup final