Jurgen Klopp has ruled Philippe Coutinho out of Liverpool’s New Year’s Eve match with Manchester City – and says Joel Matip is also unlikely to be fit for the game.
Brazilian midfielder Coutinho has been a key figure in the Reds’ impressive first half of the season but he has been forced to watch from the sidelines since he injured his ankle in a home match against Sunderland on November 26.
He was hoping to be back in time to face City on Saturday, but today Klopp told reporters he wasn’t going to make it – and that he is also likely to miss the match with Sunderland on January 2.
Asked if Coutinho would be back to face City he said: “No. He is in a good way, a really good way – I spoke to him a few minutes ago.
“But the City game, for sure, is too early and if the City game is too early then I am pretty sure the Sunderland game is too early, too. That’s it.”
And in further bad news for the side, Klopp said he is also unlikely to be able to use defender Joel Matip.
The Cameroon international has been struggling with an ankle issue which has kept him out of the side since the match with West Ham on December 11, and is not yet ready to return.
Klopp also shot down rumours linking Arsenal midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain with a move to Liverpool in the January transfer window.
“Usually I don’t say anything about transfer rumours, but I can make an exception,” he told reporter. “This is nonsense.”
He went on: “I thought I said everything about the January transfer window.
“My English isn’t good enough to use different words. So I say again, if we think a player can help us in January, February, March, April and May, maybe then yes we will do something.
“I’m not sure it will be important for us this year.”
