As a man whose profession requires him to be both upright and mobile, ankle injuries are clearly an ailment that will affect performance – if you cannot run, jump, turn and shoot in full physical health, then your ability as a creative influence is unquestionably going to be compromised.
The 24-year-old is, however, a couple of months clear of a stint on the treatment table and is still searching for his early-season spark.
Philippe Coutinho
Jurgen Klopp has said: “He misses in this moment - which is pretty normal after a long injury - this kind of consistency. There are always steps in this direction. Sometimes it works. It's about, in this moment, consistency but he is in a really good way."
Coutinho burst out of the blocks at the start of the 2016-17 campaign, so getting up to speed quickly does not appear to be an issue.