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Liverpool sweat over Coutinho

Doubt over Brazilian's fitness as Reds attempt to end poor run of results

 

EPL
LIVERPOOL HUDDERSFIELD

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp has confirmed star playmaker Philippe Coutinho is an injury doubt for today's English Premier League encounter with Huddersfield Town.

The Brazilian hurt himself during a training session at Melwood this week, with the news coming at a time when Liverpool are going through a poor run of results.

Klopp said in his pre-match press conference yesterday: "It's not clear in the moment.

"Last week he had some back problems before the Tottenham game, but then during the week it settled with treatment and all that stuff, so he was fit for the game.

"This week he had a little bit of problem with the adductor. It's not clear so far if he is out for tomorrow. We will make the decision today after training.

"He didn't train yesterday, that's true, but that's all for the moment. There are no other new things (injury problems)."

Should Coutinho fail to recover in time for the match, it will mean the Reds have to face newly promoted Huddersfield without two of their best players.

Senegal forward Sadio Mane has been absent since picking up an injury while on international duty earlier this month.

In addition, England midfielder Adam Lallana has yet to feature this season due to a thigh problem.

The Reds have won just one of their last five games in all competitions, but it was their most recent outing that put the biggest dent to their morale.

Last Sunday, Tottenham Hotspur outclassed them 4-1 at Wembley Stadium, in a match that laid bare their defensive vulnerabilities.

Centre back Dejan Lovren, who put in a woeful shift, was substituted in the 31st minute.

On the Croatia international, Klopp said: "Look, I don't wish one of you to make a mistake that is discussed in public.

"You have not even an idea how it feels. The boys are in the first case still human beings.

"We had a normal week. It was not the nicest week in Dejan's life but at the end it's only football and we have to know about this and people don't become a better or worse person after making a mistake in a football game.

"If I think about Dejan, I have as much, or much more positive things that I can think about than negative things.

"That's easy if you want to do it - he is a player of Liverpool and that's how I treat him, as a member of this family, and it is clear I help him if I think I have to help him.

"But yes, everything is okay. Dejan had a good training week, we will see what we will do tomorrow, line-up wise," he added.

Klopp also noted that this week was the first time this term that Liverpool had not played a midweek fixture, which means he had more time to work with the team on the training ground.

Given their horrendous defensive display the last time out, they would have made use of the time wisely.

Klopp said: "We worked more, of course, because we had the time for it and we still have today one more session.

"Yes, of course you have to react on the things that happened in the last game or last games, but I cannot make the last game bigger than all the other games.

"But, it was the freshest impression if you want and it didn't feel good after the game.

"We said everything about it - it was not enough and we have to show more in pretty much each department, that's the effect, so yes, we worked on it, of course." - WIRE SERVICES

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