Danny Ings can be the man to replace Philippe Coutinho is the message from Brendan Rodgers, as reported this evening in the Liverpool Echo.
Liverpool manager Rodgers looked to give the biggest hint yet as to who would start in place if the Brazilian midfielder when he stated that he would have no issue starting new-boy Danny Ings against the Reds’ rivals tomorrow evening.
“I’d have no qualms about putting Danny in,” said Rodgers.
He scored there last season, and he’s been a real bright spark since he came to the club.
Clearly impressed with what he has seen so far, the Liverpool manager also told reporters what Ings can bring to the table if he does start vs United tomorrow:
“He works hard, he presses really well and he has that quality in front of goal, so I’d have no hesitation about putting him in if I felt he could help the team.”
It can often take a player time to settle into a new side and a new syle of playing, something that could prove a risk in such a high profile game, but there is a level of trust in what the manager said in his news conference ahead of the game.
Speaking on the loss of Coutinho due to suspension, Rodgers was not too downbeat when talking about the quality still left in the team.
“Of course we have Coutinho missing and he’s a real catalyst for the team, but we still have quality and we still have players to bring in who still have high levels of technique,” said the Liverpool manager.
“It’s different types but there is no less quality.
“It’s still very early on in the season and a lot of them are adjusting to the work here. But I’ve got great confidence that over the course of the season they will show the qualities that they have.”
Two more players who will be missing are Jordan Henderson and Adam Lallana, who are both out due to injury.
The Manchester Evening News report that Wayne Rooney, who became England’s all-time leading scorer in midweek, is out of the game with a hamstring problem.
His replacement could be former Everton man Marouane Fellaini, or Anthony Martial, the new United front man, who cost a staggering £36m during the last transfer window.
