Rodgers Confirms Injury Boost as Technically Gifted Midfielder Returns To Action

Liverpool manage Brendan Rodgers has revealed how pleased he is to be able to call upon the services of midfielder Philippe Coutinho who is now fully fit after sustaining a shoulder injury against Swansea on 16 September.

The Brazilian came off the substitutes bench in the 2-0 loss to Arsenal last weekend but could be set to start against Fulham at Anfield as Liverpool look to bounce back from just their second league defeat of the season.

Liverpool struggled to create chances for their in-form strikers against Arsenal, with Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge both failing to really trouble goalkeeper Wojiech Szczesny.

The duo will be keen for Coutinho to provide that spark in midfield and Rodgers has revealed how happy he is to once again be able to call upon the mercurial midfielder.

"We've got some players coming back now, like young Philippe Coutinho, who adds a genuine quality to our game. My history as a coach shows that I love players with personality and technique," Rodgers told the official Liverpool website.

"This is a player that has got a high level of technical ability and a strong personality. We've built a platform this year, but we have to keep pushing and moving forward or else it counts for nothing."

The 21-year-old had started the season in exceptional form before suffering the injury against Swansea and he revealed how much support he had received from supporters.

"The fans' support was very important. They were always sending me messages through Twitter, which were very gratifying. I read them every day and they motivated my recovery," said Coutinho.

"I´m very happy to be back. I had six very difficult weeks and thank God I've made my comeback, but on the other hand I was sad due to the result [at Arsenal]. However that's over now and we must concentrate on our upcoming matches.

"It was really hard to sit out and have to watch the matches. You feel like getting out there and playing!

"Nonetheless, I feel that the team has played well and I hope we keep it up until the end of the season."