Jurgen Klopp is ready to go back to the tactics board with the news that Philippe Coutinho could be out of action until the new year. However, it could have been a lot worse and at least the Samba star doesn’t have to have an operation on his injured ankle.
Brazilian ace Coutinho has been in sparkling form for Liverpool this season and his contribution has played a massive part in the Reds’ assault on the Premier League title.
But he was taken off on a stretcher with nasty looking injury in the 2-0 top flight win over Sunderland at Anfield at the weekend and now he looks set for up to six weeks out injured.
Coutinho’s absence is bound to have an impact on Klopp and his players and he will be assessing new line-up ahead of the league game at Bournemouth on Sunday.
Some good news on the injury front for Klopp, however, is the improvement on the status of Adam Lallana.
Klopp said:
“Adam is in a very good way, close to team training but that means in the same moment that he is not ready for the game.”
“Daniel is not in team training, so it means then it is the same, and on Roberto Firmino we have to wait. I know yesterday it was still painful, so that’s something we have to wait for.”
Liverpool face Leeds in an EFL Cup quarter-final tie at Anfield on Tuesday night, with the Kop boss expected to mix and match between senior players, those returning from injury and some younger talent.
Some of the starlets in the squad will be chosen from the U23 ranks.
And Klopp added:
“We will see, we have a U23 squad of course. The plan is to find a line-up which can win the game, that’s what we have to do, so we don’t want to rest someone who doesn’t need a rest.”
One player who is getting a game is Simon Mignolet. He lost his place to Loris Karius as Reds’ No.1 but Klopp says the Belgian will play against Garry Monk’s outfit.
