"He is an outstanding footballer" - Steven Gerrard lauds Aston Villa's new signing Philippe Coutinho ahead of Manchester United clash

Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard has heaped praise on their new signing Philippe Coutinho. The Brazilian joins the Premier League side on a loan deal from Barcelona for the rest of the season. Villa also have the option to buy him for £33m after the conclusion of the current season.

Villa are currently 13th in the league and are aiming for a top-half finish. They are currently three points behind 10th-placed Leicester City and Coutinho's signing signals that the club are desperate for a strong finish to the season.

Gerrard, ahead of Villa's Premier League encounter against Manchester United, lauded the 29-year-old midfielder. The former Liverpool midfielder revealed that Coutinho is expected to join the rest of the squad on Wednesday and will be available for the Manchester United Premier League clash at the weekend.

Gerrard, who spent two seasons playing alongside Coutinho at Liverpool, said of the Brazilian's impending arrival:

"Philippe is currently in the process of finalizing his immigration papers and we are looking forward to getting him on the training pitch with the group on Wednesday at Bodymoor. He is an outstanding footballer who boasts a highly impressive CV laced with plenty of elite honors. I am really pleased that we have been able to bring him on board and I am looking forward to working with him."

He added:

"He is a player I enjoyed playing with previously and I know the rest of the squad here at Aston Villa will benefit from his quality and experience. His presence will be invaluable given injuries and the AFCON tournament have reduced our attacking options."

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Steven Gerrard's Aston Villa bow out of FA Cup following loss to Manchester United

Manchester United v Aston Villa: The Emirates FA Cup Third Round

Aston Villa were handed a 1-0 defeat in the third round of the FA Cup by Manchester United, who they are set to face in the Premier League on Saturday. Scott McTominay scored the only goal of the FA Cup tie in the sixth minute.

Villa had two second-half goals ruled out by the VAR, but Gerrard stopped short of blaming technology for his side's elimination from the FA Cup. Instead, he called for his players to be prepared for Manchester United's visit to Villa Park on Saturday.

The Villa boss said:

“The disappointment was that it took three and a half minutes to iron it out. We had the momentum at the time and that three and a half minutes took a lot of the sting out of the game. But it’s not the reason we lost. We need to focus on other things, not just VAR going against us. The players have an opportunity to flip the mood, flip the feeling [on Saturday] – they have an opportunity at Villa Park to straighten that out."