Ernesto Valverde has said Philippe Coutinho and Andres Iniesta can play alongside each other ahead of what could be the Brazilian’s full debut against Alaves on Sunday.
“Coutinho could start [against Alaves], yes,” Valverde said in a news conference. “He came through his debut the other day, so he’s available. We will see…
“He has to get used to what his teammates have been doing this season. He will have defensive duties, of course, even though he has more of an attacking profile than Iniesta. They’re different players, but they can complement each other perfectly on the pitch.
“Iniesta’s more of a midfielder. Coutinho is more offensive, he takes on shots from distance and he can play wide or through the middle… but he also has to conform to what we do.”
“I don’t know how my team would play with Neymar,” Valverde said when asked if the Brazilian’s departure had allowed him to create a more balanced side.
“The squad would be different. It’s true that the first thought was we would struggle in attack, that’s always the case when a team loses a player like Neymar.
“But we’re still scoring goals, we have a structure which helps defensively…. Our style is to attack and to be organised so that our opponents don’t score.”
“I don’t know what could happen,” Valverde said when asked if he could imagine Neymar at Madrid. “If there’s a place where strange things can happen, then it’s football. But it doesn’t worry me. I’m thinking about what I have here.”
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