Philippe Coutinho ruled out of Watford trip, doubtful for Champions League tie

Jurgen Klopp has confirmed that Liverpool will be without Philippe Coutinho for their Premier League opener against Watford on Saturday due to a troublesome back injury.

The 25-year-old, a summer transfer target for Barcelona, is also a doubt for Tuesday night's key Champions League playoff first-leg tie against Hoffenheim.

Coutinho missed the Reds' final pre-season friendly of the summer last weekend - a 3-1 win over Athletic Bilbao - and has not trained with the rest of his teammates for the past week as a result of the niggling issue.

Klopp also reiterated that his star playmaker is not for sale, with the club's Fenway Sports Group owners releasing a statement on Friday morning to warn Barcelona off making a fresh approach.

"No, he's not available [for Watford]. He's not been in training since last Friday. He's also a doubt for Tuesday unfortunately," he told reporters.

Asked to further comment on the ongoing speculation, he added: "When FSG say something like this it's 100% clear. You can read it. We want to have the best possible team. This means keeping the guys we have.

"Liverpool is not a club that needs to sell. That is set in stone. So what they pay in the end doesn't matter. From a financial standpoint, there's no threshold of pain."

Former Inter Milan ace Coutinho played a direct part in 20 goals in 31 Premier League appearances last time out.