Steven Gerrard ready to adapt quickly in 'challenging' Covid times
Villa boss Steven Gerrard admits uncertainty caused by the surge in Covid-19 cases means he must be ready to adapt his plans ‘by the hour’.
Gerrard claimed to have spent more time this week speaking to Villa’s club doctor than his wife while planning for Saturday’s home match with Burnley.
As of Friday morning, Villa had recorded no further positive tests than those registered prior to Tuesday’s 2-0 win at Norwich, when several players and first-team staff members were absent.
But at the time of speaking to the press, Gerrard was still awaiting the results of PCR tests – now mandatory a day prior to a match – meaning he had been unable to entirely finalise his starting XI.
He said: “It is very challenging and you have to adapt day-to-day, hour by hour. As a manager you have got to wait until the last possible moment, or until you are at least clear from Covid tests.
“Things can change at any given moment. I am probably speaking to the doctor at the moment more times than my wife, which isn’t a good thing.
“You are not allowed in the building until you get a negative lateral flow. Someone is coming to your car and giving you the thumbs up or the thumbs down, that is the situation.
“It isn’t ideal but it is how it has to be like. They are also having two PCRs and one of those is the day before the game. Today was even more uncertainty because you are not waiting for one test result but two.”
Villa’s match was one of just two Premier League matches set to go ahead today, with five of the weekend’s already postponed.
Despite describing Villa’s current situation as “delicate” Gerrard is hopeful the Premier League season can continue. But he believes any decision on pausing the campaign must be take into account player welfare.
Gerrard said: “I think selfishly (a pause) might be a bad idea but I’m certainly somebody who thinks about everyone else up and down the league. Everyone is facing their own challenges and their own situations.
“If it’s in the best interests of everyone else in the league and we’re told there is going to be a circuit-breaker or a pause we’ll follow those instructions and do what we’re told to.
“But as we stand right now there’s no reason for us as a club, from a personal point of view, to ask for that pause, circuit-breaker or say we can’t play. That could change at any given moment.”
Midfielder Marvelous Nakamba is facing up to four months out after undergoing knee surgery.
The Zimbabwe international suffered an injury in last weekend’s 1-0 defeat at Liverpool and will miss next month’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Gerrard believes the 27-year-old could be back within three months should his rehabilitation progress well. Villa will consider adding another midfielder during the January transfer window.
Gerrard said: “The surgeon is really happy with the operation and how it’s gone and now he will start a recovery process and a recovery plan.
“Marvelous is going to be missing for somewhere in the region of 12 weeks if it’s a fantastic rehab or up to 16 weeks. But it’s going to probably be somewhere in the middle of that.”
