Liverpool's Coutinho stretchered off with apparent foot injury

Liverpool lost superstar midfielder Philippe Coutinho midway through the opening half of Saturday's match against Sunderland, the magical Brazilian being stretchered off with what looked a serious problem after he kicked the foot of Didier Ndong while trying to attempt a shot.

Whether the diminutive playmaker hurt his foot or ankle during the unfortunate incident is, at this point, unclear.

Coutinho, the catalyst behind the Reds' surge into Premier League title contention, has paired five goals with as many assists on the campaign - the 24-year-old has taken his game to another level this season, and his potential loss for a significant period of time could be a crippling blow to a squad that isn't constructed to deal with such an integral absence.

The likes of Divock Origi - who replaced Coutinho on Saturday after he was stretchered off with his right foot stabilized in a brace - and Daniel Sturridge would likely be in line for more playing time should the Brazilian be shelved for an extended period.