adminAston Villa manager Unai Emery received a timely boost ahead of the clash with Real Sociedad, as Pau Torres made his first pre-season appearance after recovering from an injury setback.
The 29-year-old defender had been sidelined throughout Villa’s warm-up matches so far, which was less than ideal given his importance to the side and the need for match rhythm heading into the new season.
Over the weekend, social media speculation about the severity of his condition turned out to be wide of the mark, with reliable sources indicating that the Spanish centre-half had only picked up a minor issue shortly after returning to Bodymoor Heath earlier in the month—easing fears of a lengthy absence.
Those concerns were firmly put to rest on Tuesday night at the Bescot Stadium, where Pau was named among the substitutes and later introduced in the second half, clocking 45 minutes to begin building his fitness.
With Villa set to play three games in six days during their upcoming tour, he is expected to feature prominently. Getting back on the pitch this week was crucial, as he now faces a race to regain full sharpness and match condition.
Although there’s still plenty of time left in the transfer window, the departure of Youri Tielemans could see Emery rely even more on the composed and technically gifted defender during the build-up phase. Keeping Pau fit and heavily involved throughout the season will be key.
It was therefore encouraging to see him return and definitively put those inaccurate online rumours to rest. Emery will also be hoping to edge closer to a full-strength squad as the team heads to Indonesia later this week, with those given extended rest after international duty gradually rejoining their teammates.
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