Sunday 19 March 2017 16:16, UK
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists he is not worried about the form of Philippe Coutinho since his return from injury.
The Brazilian was one of the stand-out performers during the first four months of the campaign, scoring six times in his first 12 appearances.
But he missed seven weeks with an ankle injury sustained at the end of November and since returning has not rediscovered the same level.
His only goal in the 12 matches he has played since coming back was a consolation in the 3-1 defeat at Leicester.
He was substituted after an hour in last weekend's win over Burnley but Klopp is prepared to be patient with his playmaker for Sunday's clash with Manchester City, live on Sky Sports.
"That's the life of an outstandingly good football player like Phil," he said.
"The influence of him on the game is really big. If he is not at 100 per cent you miss something, that's how it is.
"But two weeks ago we played Arsenal and he did really well. Yes, Burnley again was not the best game, but he misses in this moment - which is pretty normal after a long injury - this kind of consistency.
"But the training week so far was perfect, he presented himself really well; it was fluent, confident and looked really well."
Klopp will hope for a big performance from Coutinho against City at the Etihad Stadium with fitness doubts over his compatriot Roberto Firmino and striker Divock Origi.
Daniel Sturridge has not recovered from a hip injury which has kept him out since early February.
Captain Jordan Henderson is not expected to return from a foot problem until the Merseyside derby after the international break but Dejan Lovren is fully fit after a 75-minute run out for the under-23s on Monday.
And Klopp does not believe fatigue is catching up with his players heading into the final 10 matches of the campaign.
"It's an intense season and things like this can happen. All the injuries we had were different, different players had a few more during the season," he said.
"Dejan Lovren had, for four weeks, a knee issue - nothing was fatigue. It's kind of (because) the body is a very complex thing and sometimes a little thing has a big influence.
"We took a little time to find the cause, a lot of specialists were looking for it, then he was fit again and he got a knee in his back when we trained set-pieces. That happens too.
"There are different reasons for it, for all of us, it's a long season and especially players who play for their national teams.
"No breaks, it's always: 'Go, go, go'. That makes it more likely that you pick up a few injuries."
