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Coutinho left out of Liverpool squad
Philippe Coutinho has been left out of the Liverpool squad that has travelled to Germany to take on Hoffenheim in Tuesday's Champions League play-off.
The 25-year-old missed Liverpool's 3-3 Premier League draw with Watford on Saturday with a back injury, but his omission from the Champions League play-off is a huge blow to the Reds' chances of making the group stages.
Coutinho has reportedly handed in a transfer request in his bid to force through a move to Barcelona, but his omission from the Liverpool squad should not be seen as significant in that context.
Players are eligible to represent one club in the qualifying and play-off rounds of the Champions League, and another in the group stages as long as their new club registers them with Uefa before 1 September.
Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp, confirmed on Saturday that the final decision on Coutinho's future rests with the club's owners, Fenway Sports Group.
"As a manager of a football club, I have bosses," the German said.
"That decide, for example, just in general, if we sell a player or we don't sell him. Then I have to accept it.
"If they don't sell him, then I am not involved any more. I'm responsible for all of our players, not just one or two or three, but all of them.
"I can't say anything about it, the only thing is I work with the players I have. That's what I'm always doing."
Liverpool's Champions League play-off matches against Hoffenheim are live on BT Sport on the eir Sport package.
The first leg at the Rhein-Neckar-Arena on Tuesday, 15 August and the return leg at Anfield on Wednesday, 23 August will be shown live on BT Sport 2.
Image Getty Images/ Alex Livesey
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