Coutinho absence from Burnley clash explained: The TWO theories... which one is right?
PHILIPPE COUTINHO was left out of Liverpool's squad to face Burnley on New Year's Day and there are conflicting reports as to why.
Express Sport understand the Brazilian playmaker, 25, wants to Barcelona in the January transfer window.
But was his absence linked to that? Or was he missing for a genuine reason?
We take you through the two theories as to why Coutinho missed the match - and you can vote now on which one you think is most likely.
THEORY ONE - COUTINHO IS INJURED
It's simple, he's injured. Coutinho picked up a thigh injury against Leicester and couldn't play so soon after.
It's what Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp insisted ahead of the match at Turf Moor.
"Phil and Mo [Salah] aren't available, that's why they are not in the squad," Klopp said in his pre-match interview.
"They're both injured, and that's not too cool, but that's how it is.
"The other changes are because we wanted to bring in fresh legs, we wanted to find the right formation for this game today, the right tactics - all that stuff."
GETTY
THEORY TWO - COUTINHO MISSED THE GAME AS HE IS MOVING TO BARCELONA
As Spanish news outlet Mundo Deportivo boldly report, Coutinho is not injured at all.
They say there is nothing wrong with Coutinho and injury wasn't the reason.
Mundo Deportivo go as far to say that Coutinho’s ‘injury’ is a lie.
And they add that Liverpool players think he was absent because of his possible move to Barcelona.
WHAT THE PUNDITS SAY
Sky Sports pundit and former West Ham striker Tony Cottee: “Personally, I can’t see Philippe Coutinho leaving until the end of the season.
“I think if he was going to go he would have gone at the start of this season.
“People do it, they make mistakes, or someone had a bright idea or whatever.
“I can’t see him going, I cannot see him going in this window, I really can’t. "
TV commentator Ian Darke: “I think he’s been a fantastic professional in all of this.
“He really, really wanted to go to Barcelona, I know that having spoken to a few people at Liverpool.
“But he’s knuckled down and he’s got on with the job and I think he will carry on doing that job for the rest of the season.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if Jurgen Klopp has said to him ‘look, give me another season here of everything you can do and then next summer we’ll look after you’.
“I think the boys are right, they might lose him next summer if they continue to try and keep hold of him.
“Of course the other thing they need to do is get a goalkeeper, because Mignolet, bless him, is not good enough.”
