Brendan Rodgers has explained the attributes which convinced him to swoop for Brazilian midfielder Philippe Coutinho – although the 20-year-old is unlikely to make his debut against Manchester City this weekend.

The Northern Irishman made Coutinho his second signing of the January transfer window when the Reds completed a deal with Italian side Inter Milan for his services earlier on Wednesday.

Rodgers believes the Brazilian is perfectly suited for the project he is developing at Anfield.

"He's a very exciting young player - his profile fits into the model of our work here," the boss told Sky Sports.

"For a young player of 20, he's actually got a lot of experience. He's played 100-odd games and at the very highest level.

"He's fantastic in the one v one, he's great at taking players on, works hard and he's got a goal in him. We're looking forward to working with him."

Asked whether the midfielder could feature when Liverpool travel to City on Sunday, Rodgers revealed that an immediate debut is unlikely.

He replied: "I very much doubt so. He's been recovering from an injury that he had in Milan. We'll assess him over the next number of days and see how he goes."

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