Matt Maher
Published14th Apr 2026, 08:00 BST
Marco Bizot has declared himself ready to step up and help Villa’s quest for glory should No.1 Emi Martinez face a spell on the sidelines.
Martinez is being assessed for a calf problem which forced him to pull out of Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest less than half-an-hour before kick-off.
Back-up goalkeeper Bizot again impressed after being parachuted into the team at short notice and could now be required to start Thursday’s Europa League quarter-final second leg against Bologna, should Martinez be unavailable.
Villa take a 3-1 lead into the match as they aim to reach a European semi-final for the second time in three seasons and third in club history.
Unai Emery’s team also face another big Premier League clash with Sunderland on Sunday as they look to secure a top-five finish and a return to the Champions League.
Bizot said: “We will see what happens in the next few days but I am good to go.
“If Emi is back in, I’ll be helping him to be good to go as well.
“Every game we are playing now is like a final. This is the sprint to the finish line. We want to try and win every game. I’ll do whatever I can to help.”
Sunday was the third time this season Bizot has started a match at short notice after Martinez sustained an injury in the warm-up.
The 35-year-old, signed from Brest last summer, also stepped in at half-time during January’s 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace.
Villa are unbeaten in all four matches and despite disappointment at not claiming the win at Forest, Bizot ensured they at least took a point by saving from Neco Williams and Morgan Gibbs-White.
He explained how mindset and pre-match preparation means he is always ready to be called upon.
Asked how tough it is to step into the team minutes before kick-off, Bizot replied: “I think it is one of the most difficult things because you have a different kind of preparation (when not playing).
“To be game-ready in about 20 minutes, it is not easy.
“But I think what we do here with the goalkeeping coach, the second and third keepers go out a bit earlier to warm-up and just to be on the field and get moving.
“If your mindset is from that point that if anything happens you need to be ready, then you can be ready in 20 minutes.”
He continued: “We train every day, we train very hard and you just try and be ready, to get focused every game, every warm-up, every time.
“Either you sit 90 minutes, to be ready if something happens, or sometimes you have to be ready 25 minutes before.”
Villa’s point at Forest means they have a seven point cushion inside the top-five, with six matches to go.
Bizot said: “Of course, it is not easy, the Premier League. But we’ve had a fantastic year.
“There are six finals left in the league and we are still in the top-five.
“We are going to give our all. We have the Europa League too, so we have an exciting few weeks coming up.”
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