Coutinho turns back on sunshine break in Barcelona to step up his fitness fight

PHILIPPE COUTINHO has forsaken the Barcelona sun for the murk of Melwood in his bid to return before the end of the year.

Coutinho has missed Liverpool’s bonding trip to Spain to concentrate on his recovery from an ankle ligament injury.

Reds boss Jurgen Klopp, who hopes Coutinho (right) will be back for the clash with Manchester City at Anfield on New Year’s

Eve, left him behind to work on his rehabilitation.

The influential Brazilian playmaker is working with Reds physio Ruben Pons at Melwood and Klopp (right) decided it would be better for him to remain on Merseyside. Danny Ings has also missed the mini-break in Barcelona as he takes the next step in his recovery from his seasonending knee setback.

But defender Joel Matip is in Barcelona and set to return from injury in Sunday’s Anfield clash with West Ham.

Matip trained yesterday after missing Sunday’s calamitous defeat by Bournemouth with an ankle knock.

The Cameroon centre-half has been hugely impressive for Liverpool – their only two defeats this season have come when he has been crocked. Liverpool have conceded nine goals in the 11 Premier League games he has played – the same total they have leaked in three matches without him.

Matip, 25, trained with his team-mates at the Centre d’alt Rendiment de Saint Cugat in Barcelona and did extra work with Liverpool’s German fitness coach Andreas Kornmayer.

Matip watched Barcelona’s Champions League match against Borussia Monchengladbach with his team-mates last night and will fly home this morning.

The African is expected to train at Melwood this afternoon, along with Sadio Mane, who has recovered from the knock he sustained

at Bournemouth.