Philippe Coutinho will face tough treatment from Liverpool senior players - Collymore

PHILIPPE COUTINHO’s character will be tested to the limits when he returns to Liverpool this week.

Philippe Coutinho scores INCREDIBLE goal for Brazil

Coutinho failed to get his dream move to Barcelona in the summer transfer window, despite his best efforts to push through a move.

He hasn’t featured for Liverpool in their opening matches of the season but is expected to return to the fold for this weekend’s clash against Manchester City.

But he is likely to receive a frosty reception from his Anfield team-mates, according to former Liverpool star Collymore. 

“Players who are a bit younger and trying to make their way in the game will say, ‘Well, he’s been a bit of a **** for what he has done, but he’s a great player and when he comes back I’m not going to treat him any differently than I did before’,” Collymore wrote in his column for the Mirror.

Philippe CoutinhoGETTY

Philippe Coutinho is set to return to Liverpool's squad this weekend

Stan Collymore expects Jordan Henderson or James Milner to tell Philippe Coutinho to knuckle downGETTY

Stan Collymore expects Jordan Henderson or James Milner to tell Philippe Coutinho to knuckle down

Then there’ll be the more senior players — the manager’s lieutenants — who’ll rattle his cage and make sure he knows where he stands

Stan Collymore on Philippe Coutinho

“Then there’ll be the more senior players — the manager’s lieutenants — who’ll rattle his cage and make sure he knows where he stands.

“They might give him both barrels — ‘You’re taking the ****, you’re bang out of order’ — or they might go down the more subtle route, which can often be worse than being fronted up.

“Every mis-kick, every chance that goes begging, even every stretch will be chipped away at.

“At Liverpool, I’d expect Jordan Henderson and James Milner to maybe give him a little reminder that his best course of action is to get his head down and work his backside off for the club.

“They’ll be saying, ‘If Barcelona come in for you in January, good for you, but now is the time to knuckle down’.”

It remains to be seen whether Coutinho will be integrated into the starting line-up following Liverpool’s strong start to the season with Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane all in fine form.

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