Jurgen Klopp says Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino are ready for Saturday’s vital clash with Everton, despite their international commitments.
Liverpool’s attacking duo were on Brazil duty on Wednesday morning, with Coutinho scoring in his country’s 3-0 win over Paraguay.
In order for them to return as quickly as possible, the club organised a private jet to fly them back, giving them crucial extra time on the training ground in the lead up to Saturday’s game.
Despite some concerns over how fresh Coutinho and Firmino will be, Klopp says he believes they will be in good shape for the 228th Merseyside derby.
“Coutinho and Firmino are OK”, said Klopp, in his press conference on Friday.
“How fresh they’ll be, we’ll see. The Brazilians had the longest trip and they came back Wednesday night.
“The club did everything they could to bring them back as soon as possible.
“They had the most comfortable trip they could have had. They could have landed now, which would have made absolutely no sense.
“They had success [with Brazil, qualifying for the 2018 World Cup], so they were really smiling and both looked good, having watched part of their games. They are very important for us.
“Unless someone comes to me and says ‘I’m not well’ tomorrow morning, then we will do the best we can to have the best lineup possible.”
With Adam Lallana definitely out, along with Jordan Henderson and Daniel Sturridge, Klopp needs big performances from the South American pair this weekend.
Both have looked sluggish in the past after international breaks—perhaps understandable, given the distance they travel—but their influence will be so crucial in Liverpool getting a positive result.
It could be that Coutinho is dropped deeper into Lallana’s central midfield role, with Divock Origi slotting into the front three.
As an alternative, Lucas Leiva could come into the midfield, paving the way for Emre Can to play further up and Coutinho to remain on the left-hand side.
Klopp has several important decisions to make when it comes to naming his starting lineup, and with a top-four finish a must this season, it is vital the 49-year-old gets it right.
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