Reunions and introductions for Cou at Barca

PHILIPPE COUTINHO met his new Barcelona teammates for the first time yesterday following the completion of his move to the Camp Nou.

“WELCOME my friend @Phil_Coutinho how nice is to share team with you again,” wrote Luis Suarez in English on Twitter alongside a photo of the two together at Barcelona’s Sant-Joan Despi training ground.

The duo were photographed smiling with their thumbs up in Barca training kit.

Suarez added: “Lots of success in this new stage, we will achieve them all together!”

Coutinho, who has signed a contract until 2023 with the runaway Spanish league leaders, played alongside Suarez at Liverpool until the Uruguayan made the same move in 2014.

The 25-year-old Brazilian did not take part in yesterday’s training session with the rest of Ernesto Valverde’s squad as he has been ruled out until the end of January with a thigh injury.

Barcelona’s club record signing could make his debut against Alaves at the Camp Nou on Sunday, Jan 28.

The Catalans, who play Celta Vigo on tomorrow in the second leg of their Copa del Rey last-16 tie, also saw French defender Samuel Umtiti return to training yesterday. ton, who was sacked at the end of last month, and takes over with two-time European Cup winners Forest currently 14th in the second tier. “We are very pleased to have reached terms with Aitor Karanka to become the manager of Nottingham Forest,” said club chairman Nicholas Randall. “He is an exceptional candidate who fully subscribes to