Coutinho usurps Juninho as Premier League's most prolific Brazilian

Liverpool made the journey to Stoke City on Saturday with a number of injury concerns and manager Jurgen Klopp was forced to field some of his young, inexperienced players due to the selection problems.

It was just the response that Klopp was looking for after Wednesday's draw at home against Bournemouth.

Klopp insists the manner of the result in Staffordshire when Liverpool did not play particularly well will help build momentum at the right stage of the campaign.

"I love giving these boys an opportunity but it has to be the right situation and the game against Bournemouth didn't look like the ideal moment to give them the responsibility for the rest of the game", said Klopp. It feels like this. "We've had a few injuries until now and if you take out all the players we missed from other teams, then if they can play their best football I'd be really surprised".

"Of course we have to prove it next week and the next week - that's how it is. It feels outstandingly good at this moment".

"They asked me to stay at home because I was not feeling well but I wanted to be here", Coutinho said.

He added: "A game against Liverpool is always a big fixture whenever you play them so we are looking forward to it". A surgical procedure on Mane's left knee will keep the 24-year-old Senegalese talent out for the rest of the Reds' slate.

Youngsters Ben Woodburn and Trent Alexander-Arnold made way for the Brazilian duo at the interval.

When Mane was playing for his native Senegal at the African Nations Cup in January, Klopp's team won one time in seven games.

"Phil lost three kilos in the last three days. We have to get more experience in this, for sure".

"But having too many players is not good for a squad because you kill development".

"As we understood it the possibility was pretty high we would have had to change after 30 minutes (if either started)". And the solution, I found it.

"It is normal people will say it's because of the substitutions but I think it's also because the whole team worked hard to get a win".

"After 60 minutes he was getting exhausted then we couldn't involve him in our training regularly". They had to do a little bit more work.

But the Reds would still have suffered defeat were it not for their man between the sticks, with Mignolet producing a pair of incredible saves to deny Charlie Adam and Saido Berahino.

Is this a turning point in Liverpool's season?

Mane is to undergo surgery on knee cartilage damage sustained in last week's Merseyside derby, adding his name to those of captain Jordan Henderson, fellow midfielders Adam Lallana and Ovie Ejaria and striker Danny Ings who are now available for Jurgen Klopp's third-placed side.