Liverpool injury news: Philippe Coutinho rules out hamstring injury fears following Arsenal victory
Coutinho scored twice in Liverpool's 4-3 victory over Arsenal at the Emirates.
Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho has played down any hamstring injury fears and admitted that a cramp forced him to be withdrawn against Arsenal. The Reds registered a 4-3 victory over Arsene Wenger's side at the Emirates in the first match of the 2016/17 season on 14 August.
The Brazil international scored twice, which included a splendid free-kick just before the break that cancelled Theo Walcott's goal in the first half. Jurgen Klopp replaced him with Emre Can and there were worries that the 24-year-old has pulled his hamstring, which has been ruled out by the player himself.
"I'm fine. It was just cramp. Nothing else," Coutinho told the Liverpool Echo, when asked about any potential injury fears.
Coutinho was one of the star players for Liverpool in the previous campaign, scoring 12 goals. The former Inter Milan midfielder has now set his sights on improving his goals tally for this season. However, he admitted that the team's objective is priority over his individual targets.
"Yes, I think I can score more this season. I always said that the one thing I really needed to improve was to score more goals. I did that last season and now I want to keep on improving," the Liverpool star explained.
"The most important thing is the group. But the more goals I score, the more I can help the team. I am happy not only because I scored two goals but because the team played well and we got the three points we wanted."
"We feel good. It was a tough game but we played really well in the second half. It's the first step for us. To win away at one of our rivals will be good for our confidence."
Liverpool will now face Burnley in the second match of the season at Turf Moor on 20 August, three days before the League Cup clash against Burton Albion.
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