Barcelona's Coutinho ruled out for three weeks

BARCELONA: Philippe Coutinho will not be able to make his Barcelona debut for about three weeks because of a thigh injury he sustained while at Liverpool.

The Brazilian playmaker passed a medical on Monday during which Barcelona doctors analysed the injury that kept him out of Liverpool's Premier League win over Burnley on Jan. 1.

"Coutinho has an injury in his right thigh. He will be out for 20 days," Barcelona said in a statement, meaning he is likely to make his debut in the Catalan derby against Espanyol on Feb. 4.

Barcelona agreed a 142 million-pound ($192 million) deal with Liverpool on Saturday to buy Coutinho, who became their record signing.

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