Philippe Coutinho hasn’t had the greatest of times since leaving Liverpool in 2018, and his inflated transfer fee allowed the Reds to recruit Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk and go on to win the title.
The Aston Villa team he joined is also considerably different from the one he currently plays for, with Unai Emery (and a lot of money) transforming the Midlands outfit into a European contender.
This season, it will compete in the UEFA Conference League, trying to follow West Ham United’s success in that competition. It clearly has the ideal manager for European success.
Aston Villa did not have much luck with injuries earlier this season. Emi BuendÃa and Tyrone Mings have been absent due to knee problems for quite some time.
Both are expected to be out for a ‘long time’, according to Emery. Both have undergone surgery and will be greatly missed in the meantime. Neither, obviously, will face Liverpool at Anfield.
Jacob Ramsay is a genuine talent (Steven Gerrard was a great fan during his time at Villa Park) and a huge loss. The offensive midfielder scored against Liverpool last season at Anfield.
He is currently suffering from an ankle injury that will keep him out of action for several weeks. He will not be involved here, but his comeback will be a significant boost for Emery.
