Rafael Benitez took a couple of minutes out of his preparations for tonight's clash with Aston Villa to speak to radio journalists. Here's what the boss had to say.

On protecting Gerrard and Torres...

We were talking about the reasons why we are in this position. One of the main ones is because key players have been injured or not fully fit. We have to manage with Gerrard and Torres and it depends on how they feel, so we have to decide before every game. At the moment we have to give them a chance to improve their match fitness because they are key players for us. We have to check how they feel after each game and during training sessions and then decide.

On Fabio Aurelio...

Fabio played two or three games in a row recently after three weeks without training, so he was a little bit tired, had some problems and we had to rest him. We have to manage with Fabio in a different way because maybe he can't play 90 minutes for two or three games in a row.

On Aston Villa...

They have spent some money in the last few years, they have a good team and last season they did well until the end. This year they are also in a very good position, so it will be a tough and difficult game for us. Because they are in this position now, they will have more confidence, so it will be a good battle for fourth place.

On Villa's impressive away form...

If they can organise well in defence and play counter-attack, they are really dangerous because they have two or three players with real pace and ability. For them maybe it is easier to play away because the other team is higher up the field and they can use the quality they have.

On the fight for fourth...

We have to think about City, Tottenham and Aston Villa because they are all doing well, but the main problem will be our own team. We have to improve and if we can, I am sure we will finish in the top four.