Coutinho injury KO confirmed as Taylor retires
UNAI Emery has confirmed Philippe Coutinho will be ruled out of Villa’s final two games before the World Cup.
Emery take his rejuvenated side to Old Trafford in the Carabao Cup tonight (Thursday), backed by 7,500 away supporters, before Sunday’s trip to Brighton prior to the Premier League pausing for six weeks.
Coutinho was left out of the squad for Villa’s 3-1 win over Manchester United and, providing an update on the 30-year-old Brazilian, Emery confirmed the playmaker has a quadricep injury.
The new head coach told the Birmingham Post: “I don’t know how long it will be but he’s not going to play until after the break. It’s a muscular injury.”
Reflecting on a memorable first win at Villa Park, Emery added: “It was amazing to be here with our supporters. I was so excited and now I’m really happy. I believe in these players and I know they have been underperforming.
“We have to take regularity in our way but sometimes they were showing the capacity. They may have been doing that before, but we have to play with regularity, be consistent, be disciplined, be organised and I think we made the first step.”
Meanwhile, Villa’s play-off-winning hero Neil Taylor has announced his retirement at the age of 33. The left-back had been without a club since leaving Middlesbrough in July.
In an emotional message, he said: “I’ve enjoyed my career immensely, playing from the National League all the way up to the Premier League to the dizzy heights with my beloved Wales.
“I feel like I’ve rinsed out every ounce of ability (or lack of ) that I had through hard work, determination and sacrifice.
“Wrexham, Swansea City, Aston Villa, Middlesbrough, Wales and Team GB. Managers, staff, players, fans, New Era (agency), the people who I now call friends and, most importantly, my whole family without whom we all know it isn’t possible. Thank you. To my family and next career steps... I’m all in!”
Taylor made 103 appearances for Villa after joining from Swansea in 2017. The Welsh international played every single minute of Villa’s play-off campaign.