Coutinho Doubtful For Newcastle Trip

When Philippe Coutinho pulled up with an apparent hamstring injury against Manchester City, initial reports seemed to indicate that he would be back and available within the next game or two. Well, three Unicornless games have come and gone, and according to Klopp's pre-match comments today, it doesn't seem likely that he'll make the squad on Sunday, either.

"I like optimism," Klopp said, starting with the obvious. "But with Phil, we were too optimistic. Sometimes it happens like this. There's nothing to criticise about this. He tried everything he could. He trained nearly normally but he doesn't feel comfortable with it.

"We have to take care of this. The muscle is a dangerous thing when you are always on your feet, and when you don't feel comfortable then stop. He is training. We will wait. If somebody can tell me he's available for the next game, then he plays, no problem. But yesterday nobody gave me the sign. So today we will have to wait again."

Fans and teammates alike might be clamoring to have the little Brazilian back on the pitch--particularly given his increased productivity under Klopp--but it seems the training staff are being justifiably cautious. While Klopp didn't rule out his inclusion in Sunday's squad altogether, it seems unlikely given the options available and the medical assessment so far.