Brazilian duo crucial to Reds’ Euro dreams

>> WEST BROMWICH: Philippe Coutinho is proving invaluable to Liverpool as they attempt to secure Champions League qualification and his return to full health is crucial as they travel to West Bromwich Albion today.

Coutinho has scored in each of Liverpool’s last three matches, yet arguably should not have been involved at all as they won at Stoke City last Saturday.

He had been suffering with illness in the days leading up to that game, yet was still named as a substitute and, with Liverpool trailing 1-0, came on to score an equaliser that set up a 2-1 victory.

Fellow forward Roberto Firmino got the winner, having himself started on the bench to be given a rest after a hectic recent schedule.

With leading scorer Sadio Mane recovering from knee surgery that has ended his season prematurely, and Adam Lallana also sidelined, Coutinho and Firmino have become Liverpool’s main source of goals.

Liverpool’s German manager Juergen Klopp is set to name both Brazilians in the starting line-up at the Hawthorns as third placed Liverpool seek a fifth win in seven matches.

Sitting six points clear of fifth placed Manchester United, who have two games in hand, Liverpool can’t afford to ease off as they eye a top-four finish.

And Klopp insists his Brazilian stars should not be expected to single-handedly secure Champions League qualification.

“It’s very important that players can play together, but if they are only two then it’s pretty difficult still,” he said.

“Gini Wijnaldum said it after the game, I think — yes, they had a big impact on the game, that’s 100 percent true, but the whole team played better in the second half.

“If we would have played like that in the first half and Roberto and Phil would have been on the pitch, I can only imagine if the difference would still have been that big.

“But with all playing better and these two highest quality players on the pitch, we could change the game. That was fantastic, really good.”