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Emery on squad rotation, not avoiding 'the trees' and facing Newcastle

A graphic of Unai Emery and the Aston Villa club crest

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Newcastle at St James' Park (kick-off 17:30 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

  • Emery confirmed he will decide on his starting XI after training on Friday afternoon, because some players "might be tired" after Wednesday's Champions League win and he needs his side "to be 100% not 80%" to face Newcastle.

  • He took former Wales international and manager John Toshack's reference "don't avoid the trees that are not permitting you to see the Forest" when describing the 6-0 win over Fenerbahce. The Villa boss went on to say they "won a fantastic match, but have a lot of things to improve to make us as strong as possible."

  • On a difficult start, but a convincing European win: "The players are doing a huge effort each match to try to do our demands. We are really improving. We are building the team in the same way we did it three, two and one years ago. The results are [be]coming better."

  • He said 21-year-old Johan Manzambi is "more or less similar" to former Villa midfielder Morgan Rogers, but "with his own characteristics as a player".

  • More on Manzambi: "He's doing things very positive for the team. He can drive and get the ball. He is getting assists and scoring goals. He is mature, likes football, responsible and a very good example of the mentality that we need."

  • On opponents Newcastle: "At their home it is always very difficult. The supporters are always pushing them. They will be very demanding in how they try to beat us. We must be ready to compete and defend strongly. Be compact and [every player] focused on his task. We need the bench ready to play in case we need fresh legs. It's a huge challenge."

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