Coutinho: I was told to stay home before leading Liverpool comeback

Brazilian star Philippe Coutinho revealed he overcame illness to lead Liverpool to their comeback victory at Stoke City.

Coutinho scored as Liverpool came from behind to beat Stoke 2-1 in the Premier League on Saturday and keep their top-four chances intact.

However, the Brazil international almost did not feature at bet365 Stadium before playing through the pain barrier.

“I joined up in the morning [of the game]. They asked me to stay at home because I was not feeling well but I wanted to be here,” said Coutinho.

“I wanted to be involved with the team. The manager decided because I was not 100 per cent.

“I want to keep going to keep scoring and helping my team and keep learning from my manager. This was a big win. There are a lot of points to fight for and every game for us is important.”

Liverpool are third in the Premier League, 12 points adrift of leaders Chelsea and two ahead of fourth-placed Manchester City.