Emery dismisses Torres reliance claims after hamstring injury

Unai Emery has pushed back against suggestions that Aston Villa are overly dependent on Pau Torres after the centre-back sustained a hamstring injury during Saturday's 2-1 Premier League defeat to Nottingham Forest at Villa Park. Birmingham Live reports that the Spaniard will not feature again until after the upcoming international break, leaving a significant gap in the defensive line ahead of this weekend's trip to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Addressing questions about whether the team relies too heavily on Torres' distribution from the back, Emery pointed to the squad's track record of coping without key defenders. He noted that when Tyrone Mings was unavailable previously, attention shifted to him, and now the focus has moved to Torres, insisting the collective structure remains the priority over any single player's attributes.

Emery acknowledged that Torres brings specific qualities to the build-up phase but stressed that Mings is capable of taking on similar responsibilities. According to Birmingham Live, the manager explained that while the two defenders possess different characteristics, the objective is to maintain the same style and competitive approach regardless of who plays.

Tyrone Mings is expected to partner Victor Lindelöf in central defence when Villa travel to face Tottenham on Saturday at 12:30 UK time. Summer signing Taylor Harwood-Bellis, who arrived from Southampton on 1 September, provides another option for Emery as he reshuffles his backline.

Emery cited previous periods when the team performed strongly despite missing senior defenders, including an early spell in his tenure when Mings played every match en route to winning the Conference League. He also referenced a period last December when neither Torres nor Mings were available, yet the side continued to compete effectively with Lindelöf partnering Ezri Konsa, who has since departed for Arsenal.