Barcelona’s Philippe Coutinho suffers setback
The Brazilian was injured in Barcelona’s match against Eibar in December.
Philippe Coutinho has been out of action since picking up an injury in Barcelona’s last match against Eibar, before the start of the new year.
The injury was a severe one that required surgery on the external meniscus of his left knee. The timetable for his recovery was set for around three months.
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However, he may be out longer than that as, according to Mundo Deportivo, Coutinho has suffered a setback in his recovery.
The report claims that the player’s knee is still swollen meaning that he is likely going to be out longer than three months.
Initially, he was thought to be back the first week of April or sometime near the next Clasico match against Real Madrid.
Coutinho’s return to Barcelona has not gone as anyone would have hoped. There was optimism early on and it seemed he was finding a place in Koeman’s system.
Despite a strong start, his performances kept declining and he soon found himself on the bench. Since he’s been out, Pedri has taken over that third midfield spot and has developed a strong understanding with Lionel Messi.
As for Coutinho, he may another player on the selling block come the end of the season. He’s been nowhere near the player the club thought they were getting when they signed him from Liverpool.
His loan at Bayern Munich also didn’t work out, which is why he’s at Barca this season. Koeman pushed for him to stay, believing he could be the one to get the most out of him. Unfortunately, for the player and the team, that hasn’t happened.
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His future, like the future of many of the players, will be decided by the new president and board. As it stands, however, he may only have a month or so left as a Barca player if and when he does come back from his injury.