Morgan Rodgers welcomed the return of John McGinn, the Aston Villa captain who had been sidelined for the past seven weeks after suffering an injury in January's match against Everton. His return is a positive sign for Aston Villa ahead of their UEFA Europa League match against Lille.  

However, the Scottish midfielder has now resumed training and traveled with the team to the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in France for the club's Champions League Round of 16 first leg match. At Aston Villa's pre-match press conference, Morgan Rodgers was also asked by the media what key elements the team lost during John McGinn's absence.  

Morgan Rogers stated, "First and foremost, it's his sense of humor. He's the funniest person in the room, which is something we've probably been lacking. Beyond that, he's our leader, leading by example and a source of motivation for the whole team. He brings these qualities, and it's hard to find someone to replace him."  

"It's very difficult for the team when such an important and outstanding player leaves. He has been with the club for many years, even before I joined. Filling his void will be difficult, but we must do our best to do so."  

"However, when a player has a strong personality and a distinctive character, it is not easy to fill his void. Therefore, his return is of great significance to the team. He can bring smiles to everyone's face, always plays with a smile on his face, and at the same time remembers the team's honors and has contributed a lot to the team. His return is very important to us."  

Aston Villa, currently second in their group in the European competition group stage, will host Lille at Villa Park in a crucial second leg of their knockout stage tie. Lille, who defeated Red Star Belgrade in the playoffs, are currently 18th in the standings. This will be Aston Villa's second visit to northern France in three seasons.  

In the quarter-finals of the 2024 UEFA Cup, Aston Villa led their Channel-cross opponents 2-1 away from home. However, Lille then won 2-1, leveling the aggregate score at 3-3. Ultimately, Aston Villa prevailed in a tense atmosphere via a penalty shootout. Attacking midfielder Morgan Rodgers made a brilliant first-half substitute appearance on that memorable mid-April night, contributing significantly to the team's victory.  

Morgan Rogers recalled: "I remember it vividly. It was an extremely tough game, probably one of the most important games of my career. To this day, the atmosphere of that game is still one of the best I've ever experienced."  

"This was a very tough match against a very strong team. We had to give it our all and find a way to win. We faced many difficulties during the game, but ultimately we were able to win and experience the feeling of winning a crucial and hard-fought match, which will be very helpful for the team's future development."  

"This is very meaningful to me because this experience has benefited me greatly, both for the person I was then and for the person I am now. It is very important to accumulate experience, to experience as many successes and failures, good times and bad times as possible, to learn from them, to continuously improve, and to strive to become better. This time I came here with my previous experience, I am familiar with the audience, and I am better able to handle similar situations than before. Yes, I am ready."  

The Europa League knockout stage marks a crucial phase of the competition, with Aston Villa's last appearance coming in January in a victory against Salzburg. Lille, however, presents an obstacle for them in advancing to the quarterfinals and continuing their European campaign.  

When asked if Aston Villa were aiming for the title, Morgan Rodgers replied: "Yes, absolutely. We enter every competition with the goal of winning, otherwise there's no point in participating. However, we must take it one step at a time, one game at a time. This is both a huge test and a crucial game for us."  

"To win the tournament, you have to beat strong teams like these to prove you deserve the victory. But we still have a long way to go, and several more rounds to play. Hopefully, we can win this round first and then move on. Of course, our goal in every match is to win."  

Image source: Internet/Aston Villa official website