Last month, 'sensational' Liverpool maestro Philippe Coutinho went off injured against Manchester City, and after the game, Reds boss Jurgen Klopp claimed the issue was 'not serious', and suggested the Brazilian merely suffered from 'cramp'.
At the time, I argued this was wishful thinking in the extreme, and after missing three games in a row, Klopp has confirmed Coutinho's injury is more serious than he initially thought.
When asked today whether Coutinho will be fit for Sunday's Premier League clash with Newcastle United, Klopp told reporters:
"We were too optimistic with Phil. He’s trained nearly but he doesn’t feel comfortable. The muscle is dangerous when you feel it, and when that happens, you [have to] stop [playing]. We have to take care of it.".
Klopp also confirmed that he'd heard nothing positive from the medical team about Coutinho's injury, so the likelihood is that he'll miss Sunday's game.
Ordinarily, this would be a blow, but the Reds have plenty of cover options at the moment.
Indeed, as the Southampton game showed, Liverpool are more than capable of winning away games without Coutinho.
Beating Southampton 6-1 on their own ground *without* Coutinho, Firmino, and Benteke is an impressive achievement, and given the emphatic nature of the victory, it's possible that Klopp may decide to stick with the same team.
Whatever happens, there's absolutely no need to rush £30m-rated Coutinho back into the team.
Author: Jaimie K
At the time, I argued this was wishful thinking in the extreme, and after missing three games in a row, Klopp has confirmed Coutinho's injury is more serious than he initially thought.
When asked today whether Coutinho will be fit for Sunday's Premier League clash with Newcastle United, Klopp told reporters:
"We were too optimistic with Phil. He’s trained nearly but he doesn’t feel comfortable. The muscle is dangerous when you feel it, and when that happens, you [have to] stop [playing]. We have to take care of it.".
Klopp also confirmed that he'd heard nothing positive from the medical team about Coutinho's injury, so the likelihood is that he'll miss Sunday's game.
Ordinarily, this would be a blow, but the Reds have plenty of cover options at the moment.
Indeed, as the Southampton game showed, Liverpool are more than capable of winning away games without Coutinho.
Beating Southampton 6-1 on their own ground *without* Coutinho, Firmino, and Benteke is an impressive achievement, and given the emphatic nature of the victory, it's possible that Klopp may decide to stick with the same team.
Whatever happens, there's absolutely no need to rush £30m-rated Coutinho back into the team.
Author: Jaimie K
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