Unai Emery spoke to the media at Bodhimore Heath's training ground, previewing Aston Villa's upcoming FA Cup fourth round match. Villa will face Newcastle United at Villa Park on Sunday, aiming for a place in the fifth round. Last month, the team defeated Tottenham Hotspur in European competition, laying a solid foundation for their cup campaign this season.  

The day before the match, Unai Emery gave a radio interview at the team's training ground, discussing how the team was dealing with injury issues, Douglas Luiz's growth and progress, and Alisson's potential debut.  

When discussing how to deal with injuries, Unai Emery said, "As a head coach, this is not uncommon. I have to make choices, build the squad reasonably, and try to use players who can play in multiple positions and have multi-functional attributes."  

"The situation we are facing now is not fundamentally different from the problems I have encountered when coaching at different stages, in different countries, and at different clubs. Other teams will also be plagued by injuries. After the transfer window closed, we made corresponding adjustments to the squad. Due to injuries to some players, we are also trying different tactics and personnel combinations."  

“Ramare Bogard is a great example. When I first came here three years ago, he was already at the club, having grown up through the youth academy, trained with the first team, and even been loaned out for experience. Now, he is making steady progress in our team and performing exceptionally well. He can play as a right-back, having marked Kaoru Mikasa, or as a midfielder. He has already played in many matches, and I have great confidence in him.”  

“Amadou Onana has shown consistent performance, and Ross Barkley has also played a positive role after his injury. As for Douglas Luiz, I think he is gradually adapting to the team's rhythm, and he played quite well on Wednesday. We have enough depth in the squad to rotate the midfield position, as well as to replace full-backs Andres Garcia and Matti Cash.”  

“Two months ago, we were missing Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres, but Victor Lindelof stepped up and performed consistently in several games. This is exactly what we are doing, and it makes me more focused on each match because we have the opportunity to achieve the desired results quickly. The players are always ready to play and are willing to contribute to the team in different positions, showing good versatility.”  

In addition, Unai Emery also spoke about Douglas Luiz. He said, "He left here a year and a half ago and his performances at Juventus and Nottingham Forest were not ideal, or rather, his playing time was limited. We knew about this before he returned. I also spoke with him, hoping that he could regain his form and recall everything he had achieved here before."  

“It was his outstanding performance here that earned him that transfer opportunity. We have been discussing how long it will take for him to fully recover and are currently actively helping him get back to his best level. He has already played three games, including Wednesday’s. In terms of his current rate of progress, I think his performance is positive and satisfactory.”  

Finally, the head coach also spoke about Alisson's characteristics: "He is a left-footed winger who usually plays on the right wing. Although he can also play on the left, he operates more on the right. He has similar technical characteristics to Leon Bailey, is good at creating threats by cutting inside, and has great potential for development."  

"Of course, his adaptability is steadily improving, but it still takes time for him to fully integrate into the team and perform at his best. Every game and every training session is a valuable opportunity for him to grow."  

Image source: Internet/Aston Villa official website