Unai Emery hasn’t ruled out the possibility of pairing Pau Torres and Tyrone Mings in defense after Mings made his long-awaited return to Aston Villa’s matchday squad on Tuesday night. Villa secured a 2-0 victory over Bologna in the Champions League, marking a significant moment for the team as Mings returned after over 14 months on the sidelines.
The return of Mings, along with Boubacar Kamara, who also battled an ACL injury last season, offers Emery multiple options in his defensive lineup. Mings was instrumental in Villa’s resurgence under Emery during the 2022/23 season, helping the club secure a seventh-place finish and a spot in European competition.
When asked about Villa’s defensive options ahead of their Premier League clash with Bournemouth on Saturday, Emery said, “We signed Pau Torres because I wanted two left-sided centre-backs and two right-sided centre-backs. While he [Mings] was fit, we signed Pau and I started working with those players as we looked to manage different competitions.”
He continued, “In the first match we played [of the new Premier League season], he was injured for a long time. Of course, we don’t want injured players, but they are coming. Sometimes for a few weeks, sometimes for a long time. Now is the best news I can have – for Tyrone Mings to be available again. Now the next challenge he has is to try to get the same performances he had before his injury.”
Emery expressed his enthusiasm about the prospect of utilizing both players together, saying, “It’s fantastic to have him and try to manage again with him and Pau Torres. Sometimes even maybe them playing together. Since last season, we played in Europe, and we will need players and two in each position at the level they are.”
He added, “Hopefully, Tyrone Mings is getting to the level he had. I’m very happy with those four centre-backs we have now. With those centre-backs, we are in the top 10 in the Premier League with the players we have – like the top seven teams.”
Emery also reflected on the contributions of other defenders, noting, “Last year we signed Lenglet and he helped us a lot. More Pau Torres, but Lenglet played 25 or 30 matches of the season. We played 55 matches last year, and hopefully, this year we will play more than 50 or 55 games.”
As Villa continues to compete in various tournaments, the depth in their defense will be crucial. Emery concluded, “We will need Pau Torres, Tyrone Mings, sometimes playing one another, and maybe they can manage playing together. I don’t know; hopefully, if they are giving their best performances, then we can do it.”