Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho could be a serious doubt for the Premier League clash against Southampton on Saturday. The Guardian reports that the Brazilian underwent a scan on Thursday for a hamstring injury, though the complete report is yet to be shared.
The 24-year-old had just returned from duty for the Brazilian national side and the scan was taken as a precautionary measure after feeling a bit of tightness in the hamstring. The Brazilian has been one of the best players in the Premier League and his loss could be a major one for the Premier League leaders.
Coutinho has been on fire this season
The former Inter Milan player has performed out of his socks this season for both club and country. The 24-year-old attacker has five goals and five assists for the Reds and even scored for Brazil in the recent international break.
Coutinho’s guile and creativity would surely be missed should he not play for the Reds and Jurgen Klopp would have further misery in the game against Southampton. The Saints too have been doing well and would be a tough nut to crack.
Liverpool could also be without the services of Adam Lallana. The 28-year-old English attacker was injured in the 2-2 draw against Spain, even after scoring the first goal of the game. The former Southampton star has been another incredible player for the Reds this season and his absence would be tough to deal with.
The best attack in the league
The Premier League leaders have topped the competition not only in terms of points after 11 games but regarding goals scored as well. Liverpool have amassed 30 goals from their league games and they would be looking to score a few more at St Mary’s.
The Reds know that their rise to the top has been purely because of their attack and losing out on two players who have starred for them will certainly weaken the side. This could give a chance to players such as Daniel Sturridge or even Emre Can to perform and Liverpool fans will hope they can deal with the expected losses of personnel.
Liverpool do have quality in their side but it would not be easy for players to slot into their playing style quickly. Even Emre Can looked rusty and only has come alive in the last two games or so. The game against Southampton would be the real test regarding squad depth and if Liverpool do play like they did against Watford; it would be three easy points for the leaders.
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