Steven Gerrard spoke to journalists from the national and local media on Friday afternoon.
The Aston Villa head coach answered questions on Philippe Coutinho, Jacob Ramsey, Newcastle United, Eddie Howe and more via his virtual press conference from Bodymoor Heath.
Here's what he had to say...
On team news...
“Phil’s fine. He got a bit of cramp in a few different areas and he tired a lot – he gave a lot to the game. In terms of being available for Newcastle, I’m sure he’ll be fine with a couple of recovery days.
“Emi’s slightly different because he has had some contact, he had a big whack in his hip area which is really sore. He’s certainly a big doubt right now, but we’re hoping with some treatment and some good recovery days that maybe he’s got an outside chance.
“At the moment, he’s a serious doubt.”
Gerrard added that Bertrand Traore has picked up a hamstring injury and will be out for a few weeks, while Leon Bailey is nearing a return.
On Philippe Coutinho…
“His vision is a major strength to him as a player. He’s lovely on the eye to watch, his technical ability is high level. I don’t think I have to go on about Phil Coutinho the player, you just have to watch and admire the class with which he goes about it.
“For me, the key thing was to get him up to speed from a physical point of view and we’re still working on that. He can get fitter and stronger and he will do with more training and games.
“Then it was about getting him enjoying his football again, being around the boys, smiling and looking forward to playing. You can see in his performance that he feels this is his stage again.
“He was desperate to come back to the Premier League and we’ve given him everything he needs to go out there and perform. For me, the good thing about Phil is he’s so humble, so level-headed, he’s so grounded that you wouldn’t think you were dealing with a world class star if you spoke to him day-to-day. He’s just a great human being.”
On Jacob Ramsey…
“JJ is playing at a level where I’m sure people have got close eyes on him. To be the age he is with the amount of games he’s played and to be playing at a high level and getting numbers into your game, I’m sure everyone’s taking note of that.
“I don’t pick the England team or the England squad, but I’m always here to try and help England and support Gareth from that point of view. I was around the England set-up for a long time.
“Gareth’s got his own set of eyes and he’s experienced enough to make his own decisions.”
On Eddie Howe…
“Eddie’s doing a fine job so far. He’s a terrific manager with big experience and he’s done well wherever he’s been.
“He’s someone I’ve got the utmost respect for and it’s a different challenge for him. My job is to try and prepare my team to beat him on Sunday; that’s all my focus is.
“Newcastle are a great club with fantastic support, historically. That comes with its own pressures, but so does every job in the Premier League.”
On Newcastle United…
“They’ve come through a transfer window and made some real good additions to what they already had. They’ve got some dangerous players, Eddie’s got a good style and we go there giving them the utmost respect.
“Every team and every challenge in the Premier League is tough, difficult and dangerous in different ways, so we have to respect that and prepare in the best possible way.”
