A solution to Philippe Coutinho’s absence for Liverpool

A solution to Philippe Coutinho’s absence for Liverpool

The news that Philippe Coutinho will be having surgery on his shoulder is undeniably bad news for Liverpool, as it will see their Brazilian playmaker miss up to six weeks of the season. As Brendan Rodgers himself basically said after the draw with Swansea, his side just aren’t the same without Coutinho.

Fortunately though, Luis Suarez’s suspension expires next week, and that potentially offers a short-term solution for Rodgers. While the Uruguayan is unquestionably at his best in an advanced forward role, would it not – given the form of Daniel Sturridge and the presumed reluctance to adjust his position – make some kind of sense to drop Suarez into the role which Coutinho’s injury has vacated.

If Suarez is used in a deeper role, obviously there’s going to be a trade-off between the goals he would score if deployed further up the pitch, and the creativity he would bring to Coutinho’s position, but given Sturridge’s goals-to-games ratio at the moment, is it not more important to replace the Brazilian?

What makes Coutinho so effective, beyond just his passing-range and vision, is his ability to travel with the ball and suck defenders towards him – realistically, Iago Aspas is not going to be able to replicate that, and neither Jordan Henderson nor Victor Moses are really suited to playing in central areas. Even though Suarez is better as a pure forward than he would be in attacking-midfield, he’s the only footballer at the club who is vaguely comparable to Coutinho in terms of the influence he can have on a game.

It might sound like an awkward fit, but Suarez is good enough – and versatile enough – to be very effective behind Sturridge, and Brendan Rodgers needs to do whatever he can to maintain the continuity and rhythm of his side.

What Liverpool do to accommodate Suarez, Coutinho and Sturridge I don’t know, but that’s a discussion for a later date.