Klopp expects Coutinho to miss around 5 weeks

Prolific Liverpool midfielder Philippe Coutinho requires around five weeks to recover from an ankle injury, manager Jurgen Klopp told BBC Radio 5 Live on Tuesday.

Confirmation comes a day after reports indicated Coutinho would miss at least six weeks of action, effectively ruling the Brazilian out of the hectic Christmas period.

"Phil needs between five and a few weeks until we have him back. We will see," Klopp said.

First skipping Tuesday's EFL Cup tie against Leeds United, Coutinho could sit out another seven fixtures over the following 34 days.

Klopp's prognosis, however, seems to indicate the 24-year-old won't return before the start of the new year.

It's an unwelcome disruption to an emphatic campaign for Coutinho, who racked up five goals and five assists in his first 13 Premier League appearances of the season.

He picked up the injury as he darted into the penalty area during the first half of last Saturday's 2-0 win over Sunderland.

Instead, the Black Cats' Didier Ndong caught Coutinho with a strong kick to the player's ankle.

But Klopp said earlier that Liverpool would find a way to live without its influential playmaker.

"Phil, as good as he is, cannot decide games on his own even if it looks like that at times," the German told the Guardian's Andy Hunter. "He dribbles, he shoots, and he is important, but it is really a team performance that we have created."