Barcelona fans can be excused for being on cloud nine. After several attempts to sign Philippe Coutinho, the Blaugrana finally acquired the Brazilian’s signature in the January transfer window.
The Selecao ace did not come cheap. The Catalan giants splashed $192m to steal him from Liverpool to add to an attack that did not adequately replace Neymar.
Then the bad news dropped: Barcelona fans will have to wait a while before Coutinho can make his debut. It was expected that the former Anfield ace would don a Blaugrana jersey in Thursday’s clash against Celta Vigo, but that date has been pushed back to possibly next month.
As revealed by his new club, the player is suffering from a thigh injury. This confirms the player missed the Reds’ last two games – wins against Burnley and Everton – due to injury, not because of his Camp Nou switch.
Unfortunately, the Brazilian will remain on the sidelines for three more weeks. Although by this timeframe, Coutinho will be back for January 28th’s clash with Alaves, he might not be risked until their trip to Espanyol on February 4.
Philippe will not be eligible to play in the Champions League for Barcelona, but he will slot right into their squad in La Liga upon full recovery. Valverde’s side boasts a nine-point lead over second-placed Atletico Madrid in their fight to reclaim the league title.
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