Emiliano Martínez
CHE
Goalkeeper
--
Sep 2, 1992 (34)
Right
6'5"
194 lb
Undergoes successful jaw surgery
Martinez (jaw) underwent successful surgery after suffering a fractured jaw during Saturday's 2-0 Premier League victory over Everton, according to the club.
Analysis: Martinez sustained the injury following a collision midway through the second half against Everton and was subsequently taken to hospital, where examinations confirmed a fractured jaw requiring surgery. The goalkeeper has since confirmed that the procedure went well and indicated that he expects to return within a few weeks, although Chelsea have yet to establish an official recovery timeline. Martinez is expected to miss several upcoming matches while recovering, with Mike Penders likely to take over goalkeeping duties in his absence.
Undergoes successful surgery
Martinez is optimistic following a medical procedure to repair his jaw injury, sending a message via his social media saying "Thanks to everyone for the messages; the surgery went well. The most important thing is that we won and kept a clean sheet. We'll be back in a few weeks."
Analysis: Martinez will continue his recovery process after being involved in a collision during Saturday's win over Everton, and early reports indicate he'll be sidelined for a few games. With the goalkeeper himself saying he'll be back in weeks, he'll likely stay sidelined in immediate EPL action. In that case, Mike Penders could be expected to fill in for him. Martinez's precise timeline will likely depend on his progress in the coming days.
Conscious after collision
Martinez has a jaw injury but is conscious and in the hospital after being involved in a collision with Jarrad Branthwaite in Saturday's win over Everton, according to Gaston Edul of ESPN.
Analysis: Martinez underwent a CT scan and tests on both his back and neck, and everything came out well, according to Edul. The jaw injury is troublesome, and it remains to be seen when he'll be able to train -- and play -- again. Mike Penders should play a bigger role between the posts if Martinez has to be sidelined, though it's uncertain whether that'll be the case since he can play with a protective mask.
Forced off after head collision
Martinez was forced off during the second half of Saturday's Premier League clash against Everton after suffering a head collision with Jarrad Branthwaite. The goalkeeper was unable to continue following the incident, raising concerns about his availability for Chelsea's upcoming fixtures. Coach Xabi Alonso told TNT after the game, per Simon Johnson. "As far as I know he left the stadium conscious. Right now he is in the hospital doing precautionary tests so let's see but this is what I know so far."
Analysis: Martinez suffered a worrying head injury after colliding with Jarrad Branthwaite during Saturday's 2-0 win at Everton and was stretchered off in the second half. He left the stadium conscious and was taken to hospital for precautionary tests, which will determine whether he suffered a concussion or another head-related issue. The goalkeeper had entered the contest following a solid performance in the victory over Bournemouth, but his availability for upcoming matches now remains uncertain. Should Martinez be required to spend time on the sidelines, Mike Penders, who replaced him Saturday to make his Premier League debut, would be the leading candidate to take over the starting goalkeeper role for Chelsea.
Ruled out against Brighton
Martinez (undisclosed) is ruled out for Sunday's clash against Brighton.
Analysis: Martinez has been unable to earn a place in the squad despite training on his own with no further pain in his finger. His future at the club remains a hot topic amid transfer rumors surrounding a potential move away from Villa following the signing of Zion Suzuki, adding further uncertainty to a situation that remains unresolved heading into the new season. Marco Bizot is set to start between the posts in his absence, with Martinez's longer-term situation at the club expected to become clearer in the coming days as the transfer window continues.
Training separately Friday
Martinez is training on his own and has no pain in his finger as he works to catch up on fitness after returning a few days ago, although transfer rumours still linger, Jacob Tanswell reports.
Analysis: Martinez looks to be getting back to full fitness again after some time off following the World Cup and a finger injury, as the goalie is back training on his own with no more pain in his finger. However, the goalie's future remains a hot topic, as it appears he is set for a move out of Villa, especially after the signing of Zion Suzuki. The good news here is that whatever club he lands at, they should get him fit and ready to go.
Future uncertain despite training return
Martinez has resumed training at Bodymoor Heath after recovering from the injury he dealt with during the World Cup, though his long term future at the club remains unresolved, according to coach Unai Emery, per Birmingham Live. "We can share both. This scenario is a bad scenario? Not. We have two excellent keepers. We have signed Suzuki not for the future, but for now. He has shown his capacity and that he can play at our level. Martinez transmitted to us the possibility to have another challenge in his career, not just now and even last year, and he was thinking in case he had a possibility to change his challenges, but he stayed and performed fantastic. This year, again, he transmitted to us for a new challenge, and we signed Suzuki to replace him. But the scenario we have is that we have two great goalkeepers."
Analysis: Martinez has requested a new challenge this summer, a situation Emery confirmed also arose a year ago before Martinez ultimately stayed and performed well. That request prompted Villa to sign Zion Suzuki as a potential long term successor, even as a proposed move to Juventus for Martinez fell through earlier in the window. Martinez is expected to be included in Villa's squad for the season opener against Brighton now that he's back training, though his club future beyond this window remains genuinely unclear given the ongoing speculation.
Plays through pain at World Cup
Martinez revealed he has been in pain every day at the World Cup after fracturing his ring finger before the tournament, avoiding surgery despite specialist advice, according to Birmingham Live. "My hand still hurts every day, I knew it was going to be extremely painful, I avoided surgery, even though all the specialists I consulted in the United States and England told me I needed to have it."
Analysis: Martinez suffered the injury on May 20 warming up ahead of Villa's Europa League final win over Freiburg, taping up his finger to play through it before being sidelined for roughly a month, missing the Premier League season final win at Manchester City and Argentina's World Cup warmup matches. Despite the ongoing discomfort, he has continued playing through the tournament and said he has felt better since the round of 16, with his focus fully on Argentina's final against Spain on Sunday as he chases a second World Cup title.
Concedes two goals
Martinez registered no saves and allowed two goals in Tuesday's 3-2 victory versus Egypt.
Analysis: Martinez conceded two goals in Tuesday's 3-2 win over Egypt, beaten by Yasser Ibrahim's powerful header from Marwan Attia's delivery in the first half and then by Mostafa Zico's close-range finish from Haissem Hassan's inch-perfect cross in the second half, with both goals coming from direct and well-constructed Egyptian moves that exposed Argentina's defensive vulnerability on the counter-attack. The goalkeeper commanded his area on the occasions his backline gave him protection, and while the two goals conceded will raise questions about defensive organization heading into the quarterfinals, his composure in the final stages helped his side hold firm during Egypt's late push for an equalizer after falling 3-2 behind.
Allows two against Cape Verde
Martinez recorded three saves and allowed two goals in Friday's 3-2 win versus Cape Verde.
Analysis: Martinez did well to stop three shots Friday but was ultimately beaten twice in the win, not able to do much about either well-placed shot. He now remains with two clean sheets at the World Cup, unable to capture one in each of their past two games. They will now face Mohamed Salah and Egypt next, a player Martinez should be familiar with after years of playing against each other in the Premier League.
Avoids surgery on finger
Martinez (finger) revealed he chose not to undergo surgery on a fractured ring finger on his right hand in order to be available for the World Cup, and confirmed he will be able to play without a protective finger kit for the next match, according to his own statement, per Mundo Albiceleste. "I can now play without a finger kit for the next game. I decided not to have surgery. I had a bad time. I came here very prepared. I still haven't trained with the group, always with Martin Tocalli. The coach has always supported me and that has given me a lot of courage."
Analysis: Martinez acknowledged the difficulty of his situation but credited the support of coach Lionel Scaloni, goalkeeping coach Martin Tocalli, colleagues Geronimo Rulli and Juan Musso, and the medical staff for helping him through the recovery process. His decision to forego surgery reflects the importance he places on being available for the defending world champions, and his ability to now play without the protective kit is a significant step forward in his recovery heading into the knockout stage of the tournament.
Concedes once in win
Martinez had no saves and allowed one goal in Saturday's 3-1 victory over Jordan.
Analysis: Martinez was largely untroubled in Saturday's 3-1 win over Jordan, conceding only Mousa Tamari's second-half goal after Jordan pulled one back from Ehsan Haddad's cross, and making no saves of note across 90 minutes as Argentina dominated with 73 percent of possession and limited Jordan to just five shots. The goalkeeper commanded his area throughout, and his consistent performances across three group games without a significant individual error give Argentina the goalkeeping certainty they will need heading into the knockout rounds against Cape Verde.
Clean sheet against Austria
Martinez recorded one save to go along with a clean sheet in Monday's 2-0 win over Austria.
Analysis: Martinez once again had a very quiet match, not making his first and only save until the second half as he earned a clean sheet. This now gives him two clean sheets in two games, only making one save thus far. He will now face Jordan in their group stage finale, a decent chance to earn three clean sheets in the group stage.
Keeps clean sheet in win
Martinez recorded no saves and allowed zero goals in Tuesday's 3-0 win over Algeria.
Analysis: Martinez was beaten inside the first 15 minutes but Algeria's goal was ruled out, and he didn't face a big threat the rest of the way. With upcoming games against Austria and Jordan, a scenario in which Martinez ends the group stage with three consecutive clean sheets can't be ruled out.
Starting as expected
Martinez (finger) is in the starting lineup for Tuesday's clash against Algeria.
Analysis: Martinez will bounce back to action after missing Argentina's practice matches while he completed his rehabilitation from a small fracture. The goalkeeper will therefore be selected over Geronimo Rulli and Juan Musso throughout the tournament as long as he avoids further physical problems. In that case, Martinez could be reliable for fantasy output as his team has the potential to allow few goals at least in the initial fixtures, and he's usually a solid shot stopper when tested.
Set to play Tuesday
Martinez (finger) is set to play in their World Cup opener against Algeria on Tuesday if no setback takes place, according to manager Lionel Scaloni. "Emiliano is fine. If everything continues well, I think he's going to play."
Analysis: Martinez is looking to be an option for Argentina's opener after some questions about health, as he has been training the past few days. This is a major boost to the team, as he was clearly an essential piece of the World Cup-winning squad in 2022, earning the Golden Glove in the process. He should then continue as a starter in net, with Geronimo Rulli as a backup option.
Trains well, set to start
Martinez finished training well again and continues pushing himself, with the goalkeeper set to play against Algeria, according to Gaston Edul.
Analysis: Martinez stepped up his recovery at Argentina's Saturday training session, working under the goal with gloves on both hands in a noticeably more intense workout than in previous days. The Aston Villa keeper has been managing a fractured ring finger on his right hand since before the Europa League final, and and while he was occasionally seen checking on the injured finger during the session, he pushed through the discomfort and all signs point to his recovery staying on track. He is set to start in Argentina's World Cup opener against Algeria.
Trains with gloves Thursday
Martinez trained with both gloves for the first time since fracturing his right ring finger after the medical staff removed his cast on Thursday, with coach Lionel Scaloni expressing confidence the Aston Villa goalkeeper will be able to start Argentina's World Cup opener against Algeria on June 17, according to Canal Nicoleno.
Analysis: Martinez completed reaction and deflection exercises despite showing some signs of discomfort, with the decision to remove the cast marking a significant step forward in his recovery. The defending world champions will continue monitoring his condition over the coming days but the direction of travel is clearly positive, with manager Scaloni backing his number one to be ready when Argentina's campaign gets underway.
Expected to start against Algeria
Martinez (finger) is aiming to feature in Argentina's World Cup opener versus Algeria after the national team's staff decided to remove the cast from the ring finger of his right hand Thursday, TyC Sports reports.
Analysis: Martinez has dealt with a fractured finger since the UEFA Europa League finale on May 24, but he should be ready to represent his country after refusing surgery in order to be available for the summer tournament. If the Aston Villa goalkeeper is confirmed as a starter, both Geronimo Rulli and Juan Musso will remain among the substitutes throughout the competition. Additionally, Martinez should benefit from solid clean sheet chances, especially in the easier group-stage fixtures.
Will have splint removed Friday
Martinez (finger) is getting closer to full recovery, with Argentina's coach Lionel Scaloni giving an update about his status Monday, saying "On Friday, they take off the splint from Emi Martinez's finger, so we'll see".
Analysis: Martinez will be assessed once the splint is taken off his finger, but there's hope that he'll be able to start in the World Cup opener against Algeria. The goalkeeper hasn't seen action since the Europa League finale on May 20, and has opted not to undergo surgery so that he can take part in the international tournament. However, in case he's forced to rest at some point, a decision would have to be made between Geronimo Rulli and Juan Musso to take his place in the lineup.
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