Coutinho faces late fitness test for Spurs clash
Phillipe Coutinho will have to prove his fitness if he is to feature in Saturday’s visit to Tottenham Hotspur after suffering a minor hamstring injury.
Coutinho was rested for Tuesday’s 5-0 thrashing of Burton in the EFL Cup, and there are doubts as to whether the midfielder has recovered sufficiently to take part in the match at White Hart Lane.
The Brazilian, who netted a brace in a man-of-the-match performance against Arsenal in the Reds’ opening fixture, will be assessed by the club’s medical staff before a decision is made.
And although manager Jurgen Klopp insists the injury is not too serious, he stressed that no risks would be taken for fear of aggravating the issue.
“The muscle was a little stiff. He felt something so we didn’t want to take a risk [for the Burton game],” the German explained.
“We left him out of training until now. We have to make a decision on Friday with what we can do with him.
“It is not a situation to take any risk. We have to talk to the player.
“From the medical side, it is not a big issue, but it was big enough to leave him out of the squad for Burton.”
If indeed Coutinho does miss out, he may not prove the only absentee, with Emre Can, who was forced off with an ankle injury at the Pirelli Stadium, and Divock Origi also doubtful.
The Brazilian could certainly prove a big miss, so often at the heart of Liverpool’s impressive attacking play, which has recently compensated for their defensive struggles.