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”.
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He said: “That is always a possibility”.
Still, Klopp wants to make sure his side knows that all opponents present a unique challenge.
As important a player as Coutinho undoubtedly is, one of the most impressive things about Liverpool under Klopp is that they’ve been able to function well regardless of who he has selected. It’s flawless we have him back and can bring him in the game. We came away from Bournemouth and that was two clean sheets and we thought we might have turned a corner. If you travel to Newcastle, you have to get as many points as you can.
Klopp is also assessing whether to keep Daniel Sturridge in the starting line-up after a triumphant return in the Capital One Cup.
“We were too optimistic [with Coutinho]”, Klopp told a press conference, the Liverpool Echo reported. Sometimes it happens like this. “He can train almost normally but doesn’t feel totally comfortable”, says Klopp. “It’s possible we could play the same team again”. “We are trying to build it every week and I see it in training, and we need to transfer that confidence that we have and that belief that we have in the week into a Saturday”.
‘But yesterday nobody gave me the sign. Both will be in contention to start against Newcastle.
Klopp accepts Sturridge’s comeback has to be managed after the length of his time out with thigh, calf, hip and knee problems. You can’t always play with a miserable face – ok, that’s how I play tennis but that’s my problem.
“Obviously he [Daniel Sturridge] did well in the last game and it was the plan beforehand together with the medical department that around 50, 55, 60 minutes would be good for him and good for us, so that’s what we did”.
Henderson has made two short substitute appearances – his first since the second game of the season after a heel problem was followed by a broken foot. We try to learn as much as we can but, in the end, in my opinion it’s not so important when you are preparing a game to know all about English football, just to study the opponent’s last three or four games.
Hendo has made a big step in the last two weeks, and that’s the best news.
“He doesn’t have to play in all the games, but if we can decide when is the right moment to fight, and when is the right moment for recovery, everything should be okay”.
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“When we first came here we had to watch a lot of videos, but it’s much easier to know about Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United when you are in Germany because of Europe”, he said.
