Aston Villa have been handed a major boost with reports that Emi Martinez is due back at the club's training ground on Thursday.
Martinez was a key member of the Argentina squad, playing every minute - a feat only otherwise achieved by Lionel Messi and Nicolas Otamendi - as they claimed their third World Cup trophy, the country's first since 1986.
His exploits in two penalty shootout victories, first over Holland and then over France in the final, gained him plenty of plaudits and contributed to him being awarded the Golden Glove at the conclusion of the final.