Aston Villa Faces PSG in UEFA Super Cup Without Key Players

Aston Villa will walk into the UEFA Super Cup without one of their biggest leaders on Wednesday night. Emiliano Martinez is staying at home.

Unai Emery has chosen not to call up the Argentina goalkeeper for the showdown with Paris Saint-Germain at the Red Bull Arena in Salzburg, a decision that lands just weeks after Martinez went all the way to the 2026 World Cup final. He played every minute of Argentina’s run before losing 1-0 to Spain after extra time on 19 July in New Jersey.

The World Cup has taken its toll on Villa’s spine. Martinez is not the only notable absentee.

Emery has also left out Ezri Konsa and Ollie Watkins, both of whom returned from the tournament with bronze medals. The England pair finished third after a wild 6-4 win over France in the third-place play-off on 18 July in Miami, another emotionally and physically draining occasion.

Emery has decided they all need a breather.

“I gave them four weeks of holiday, and it was really necessary,” he told French outlet RMC, underlining his belief that a proper reset now will pay off when the serious business of the club season begins.

Their absence opens the door for others. In goal, the responsibility falls to 35-year-old Dutchman Marco Bizot, Martinez’s understudy, who is expected to start against PSG. For a veteran who has waited patiently in the shadows, it is a rare chance to anchor a European showpiece and face one of the most feared attacks on the continent.

The Super Cup will therefore offer a glimpse of a slightly stripped-back Villa, one still shaped by Emery’s structure but missing three of its most influential World Cup performers.

Back in Argentina, the message is more reassuring for Villa fans. Local reports indicate Martinez will return to club duty soon and is on course to be ready for the Premier League opener against Brighton on 23 August. Before that, Villa have one last tune-up: a final friendly against Borussia Monchengladbach next Saturday.

For now, Emery is gambling that short-term sacrifice in Salzburg will buy long-term freshness when the league kicks off — and when Aston Villa’s season truly starts to take shape.