Philippe Coutinho made his return to the Liverpool starting line up in their 1-1 draw away to Bordeaux in the UEFA Europa League.
The 23 year-old had not featured for the Reds since being sent off in their 3-0 defeat against West Ham United at the end of August, with his only playing time coming for Brazil – 23 minutes in a friendly win over Costa Rica – since that dismissal.
Liverpool lost against Manchester United in Coutinho’s absence, with their lack of creativity highlighting his importance.
Against Bordeaux, his influence was subtle, yet he was at the forefront of much of Liverpool’s best attacking play and would hit the woodwork, as he searched for his first European goal of the season.
Alongside Adam Lallana, he helped disrupt a fairly resolute Bordeaux backline, with his clever movement and interchanges offering moments of class, as well as substance.
Despite possessing a number of exciting attacking midfielders, including Roberto Firmino, Liverpool are still very much reliant on Coutinho as their chief creative outlet.
His stats for goals and assists may seem underwhelming, but his influence is clear on the pitch, with his development from a promising youngster to a trusted and decisive regular is almost complete.
His red card against West Ham was avoidable and as he showed in this draw with Bordeaux, Liverpool need him in the side as often as possible.
