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Philippe Coutinho's stint at Barcelona has taken another controversial turn. According to reports, the Brazilian refused to come on as a substitute during the Blaugrana's 3-3 draw against Celta Vigo on Saturday.
Barcelona came into game against Los Celestes hoping to get back to winning ways. They had lost two of their last three league games. Interim manager Sergi Barjuan opted to start with Coutinho on the bench, hoping to call on the Brazilian if needed.
Barcelona started the game well, going ahead through Ansu Fati's strike in the fifth minute. Sergio Busquets doubled the lead in the 18th minute before Memphis Depay made it 3-0. The Blaugrana seemed to be in full control of the game as the half came to an end.
However, disaster struck for the visitors just before the break. Ansu Fati pulled up his hamstring while attempting to get to the end of a Jordi Alba through-ball. It was clear the Spaniard couldn’t continue, and had to be replaced. Barjuan asked Coutinho to warm up and prepare to take the place of the Spaniard. However, Coutinho never got on the pitch.
The Brazilian seemed to be an ideal replacement for Fati, but displayed a lack of motivation during his preparation. It's now reported that Coutinho refused to get on the pitch, leaving the Barcelona manager in a spot of bother. Barjuan eventually turned to 18-year-old Alejandro Balde to take the place of Fati on the pitch.
Things soon turned from bad to worse for the Blaugrana. Iago Aspas kickstarted Celta Vigo's turnaround with a goal in the 52nd minute. Nolito made it 2-3 in the 74th, before Aspas completed the astonishing comeback in the sixth minute of injury time. Coutinho watched from the bench as things spectacularly fell apart for Barcelona.
Barcelona likely to offload Philippe Coutinho in January
Barcelona are expected to offload Philippe Coutinho in January. The Brazilian has failed to make a mark since joining the Blaugrana in January 2018. The 29-year-old has appeared 101 times for the La Liga giants, finding the back of the net 25 times.
He is now a pale shadow of the player who lit up the Premier League for Liverpool. Coutinho cost Barcelona a fortune, so the Blaugrana are ready to cut their losses this winter. Newcastle United are interested in taking Coutinho back to England.
