Steven Gerrard spoke to the media on the eve of Aston Villa's Premier League match against Burnley at Villa Park.
The club's head coach was quizzed on a number of topics ahead of the game as he spoke on his virtual press conference.
Here's what he had to say...
On team news...
“We have certain individuals missing for tomorrow’s game.
“Ashley Young is 50/50. Keinan Davis, Morgan Sanson and Anwar El Ghazi are out, Leon Bailey, Bertrand Traore and Marvelous Nakamba are still out.”
On Marvelous Nakamba…
“He’s had successful surgery. The surgeon is really happy with his operation and how it’s gone and now he’ll start his recovery process and recovery plan.
“He’s going to be missing for somewhere in the region of 12 weeks if it is a fantastic rehab or it could be up to 16 weeks.
“It will be somewhere in the middle of 12-16 weeks.”
On the current COVID-19 situation in the Premier League…
“If there’s a headline from his conference I want it to be that player safety and welfare has to be taken into consideration here because this is not just a COVID situation, this is what comes on the back of it.
“We’re having to use more players for more games and more minutes because we’ve got some players missing with COVID. That puts more strain and stress on the players individually and you pick up more injuries on the back of that.
“We’re at the time of year where, naturally, there are more colds and bugs, and there’s that paranoia that while they maybe haven’t had a positive test yet, are they going to have a positive test in a few days. Do you then take them out of the environment to protect others?
“There’s all kinds of concerns and situations going on at the moment. I just hope the Premier League and the powers that be take player welfare into consideration.”
On playing Burnley…
“They’re a very experienced team and they’ve been in the league for a long time with a very experienced coach. They play a certain way where they challenge you in many different ways.
“It’s a game that we need to remain fully focussed on and concentrated on. I went to watch Burnley against West Ham at the weekend and it’s very clear in terms of their style and what they want to do.
“They want to make the game extremely uncomfortable for you from start to finish. We have to make sure we’re ready for the challenge, the battle and the fight. Hopefully we can make the game look how we want it to look, in terms of the style of the game.
“We’re going to have to be at it, we’re going to have to play like men, in terms of standing up to the physical challenge. We have to be as strong as we can across the pitch, and we’re looking forward to that challenge.”
On the squad’s adaptation to his style of play…
“Players that are good enough to play at this level and stay around at this level for a good time are usually good at absorbing information and carrying out instructions well. That’s why they’re in and around the Premier League, it’s the reason why they’re in and around a big club like Aston Villa.
“I’ve been impressed but certainly not surprised. Every player, to a man, has gone above and beyond, and been really open and engaging.
“They’ve been wanting to take our identity on board and go and show It. Against Norwich in the last game was certainly the best we’ve looked, in terms of what we’re trying to create here.”
On Jacob Ramsey…
“He’s already a force [to be reckoned with]. I think he’s a fantastic talent. At such a young age, you can see he plays with maturity, he’s got a really good game understanding and I think he’s further ahead than I was at 20, in terms of a lot of aspects of his game.
“If he keeps, wanting to grow, develop and evolve, I’ve got no doubt that he can add big numbers to his game in terms of goals and assists. Really pleased to work with him.
“It’s always nice to have homegrown players in your team because they have that connection to the supporters and know what the fans demand and want here at Villa.
“Jacob just needs to focus on his game, improving his game and keep trying to make those marginal gains around all his attributes. I don’t see why he can’t go all the way to very top – and I’m talking about being a big player for Aston Villa for many years, being a pillar and mainstay in this team.
“Without putting too much pressure on the kid – you can see him moving through the international age groups at speed – if he keeps consistency in his game, I think he can go all the way to the top.”
