EMI, BUT WE ARE GOING TO PROTECT HIM

haven’t spoken to him about it. We’re busy focusing on the match with everything and tomorrow we’ll play with 50,000 of their fans and ours. There will be a great atmosphere.”

The subtext to the second leg was the ongoing row over blocking at set-pieces.

Lille boss Paulo Fonseca still has a bee in his bonnet about the issue after last week when Morgan

Rogers’ positioning allowed Ollie Watkins to open the scoring.

The Portuguese made his feelings known after the final whistle at Villa Park – and it was the central theme to his pre-match musings.

He said: “I love the fair game and what I want is a fair game.

“Some weeks ago, I asked one international French referee what he thought about setpieces. I wanted to understand what is and what isn’t allowed. He explained – very clearly – that a block is a block. It’s not a foul unless the player moves.

“I know it’s difficult for referees to see it all – but now we have VAR – because what I’m seeing is not blocks, it’s fouls.”

However, Emery remained unrepentant over the issue and mentioned set-piece specialist

Austin Macphee. Emery said: “It’s an important part of the game. It’s been an important part of my career, 100 percent.

“I work at it a lot. I’m working a lot with a specialist in Austin Macphee, I’m helping him and together, with my coaches, we are doing it.

“In this tie last week, three goals were scored from setpieces. Lille have good organisation and we have to use our power there.

“It’s part of our game plan. We need to be ready.”

LILLE (4-2-3-1): Chevalier, Santos, Yoro, Diakite, Ismaily, Bentaleb, Andre, Yazici, Gudmundsson, Haraldsson, David VILLA (4-4-1-1): Martinez, Konsa, Carlos, Torres, Digne, Bailey, Luiz, Mcginn, Rogers, Diaby, Watkins REFEREE: Ivan Kruzliak (Slovakia) TV: TNT Sports, 5.45pm