Philippe Coutinho has missed the start of Liverpool's Premier League campaign with a back injury caused by stress, according to a Brazilian doctor.
Brazil superstar Coutinho has missed the start of Liverpool's Premier League campaign due to the injury which came after he handed in a transfer request.
The attacking midfielder has been heavily linked with a move to Barcelona - with the La Liga giants still aiming to replace Neymar, despite signing Borussia Dortmund forward Ousmane Dembele.
And Brazil doctor and lifelong pal of Coutinho, Michael Simoni, has claimed his layoff is down to stress, following another medical official insisting he was in a "perfect condition to play".
Simoni said: “Coutinho back problem? He is okay now. The back problem was a matter of stress, it was something emotional.
“The uncertainty about his future led him to feeling stressed. Everything is solved now.
“Coutinho and I are friends since years, I always treat his medical cases. All he needed was someone to give him a pep talk.”
Coutinho hasn't trained with his Liverpool teammates since complaining about a back injury after their friendly with Bayern Munich at the beginning of the month.
But the former Inter Milan ace is set to face Ecuador with his international team, as originally reported by the Liverpool Echo.
Coutinho linked up with the Brazil squad in Porto Alegre on Monday where he was assessed by their medical staff.
Brazil doctor Rodrigo Lasmar added: “From a medical point of view, Philippe is in the perfect condition to play.”
Coutinho is likely to start against Ecuador in the early hours of Friday morning UK time. Tite’s side also take on Colombia in another World Cup qualifier on September 5.
Jurgen Klopp expected Coutinho to link up with Brazil but indicated that he wouldn’t be fit enough to feature.
“If he goes there and can train, I don’t think he can, but they will decide,” Klopp said.
“It’s in the hands of the specific FA. They make their own decisions.
“Are we always happy with things like that? No, not always in the past. Sometimes players come back after a small injury, go to their national team and play two games. But it’s the same procedure as always.”
Liverpool have rejected three bids from Barcelona for Coutinho, the latest worth £118million. Senior Anfield officials remain adamant that Coutinho won’t be sold during this transfer window, regardless of how much Barca offer and who the Reds sign themselves.