Pau Torres’ hamstring injury has handed Unai Emery a significant tactical problem at Aston Villa.
The defender was forced off during Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest and is expected to miss around two to four weeks, ruling him out of Wednesday’s Carabao Cup tie against Coventry City and making the Tottenham clash highly unlikely.
Torres’ absence matters beyond simply replacing a centre-back.
The Spaniard is central to Villa’s build-up play, offering a natural left-footed passing angle and the ability to progress possession through or beyond the opposition press.
That influence was particularly obvious during Villa’s 3-2 Champions League victory over Club Brugge, when Torres registered two assists.
Our analysis of Torres’ performance in Belgium showed how important his distribution can be when Emery’s side build from deep.
Emery must find another route
Taylor Harwood-Bellis could now receive more opportunities after Emery indicated the defender’s chance was approaching.
We have already covered why Harwood-Bellis could benefit from Torres’ injury.
But Emery may need more than a straight replacement.
Villa could ask a midfielder to drop deeper during the first phase or shift more responsibility towards the right side rather than expecting another defender to replicate Torres.
Wednesday’s Coventry tie gives Emery an immediate opportunity to test that solution.
The calendar then offers some relief.
Villa face Tottenham on Saturday before a lengthy gap in their schedule, meaning Torres could miss relatively few additional games if he returns towards the shorter end of his recovery timeline.
His absence is undoubtedly a blow.
It could also force Emery to make Villa’s build-up structure less dependent on one player.
