Messi and Pique welcome Coutinho to first Barcelona training session

Philippe Coutinho has trained with Barcelona for the first time since completing a €160 million move from Liverpool.

The Brazil international became the Catalan giants’ most expensive acquisition earlier this month but his debut has been delayed by a thigh injury.

Coutinho’s first appearance in a Barca shirt edged closer on Saturday, though, as he turned out for training with his new team-mates.

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Pictures shared on the club’s Twitter account showed the likes of Lionel Messi and Gerard Pique applauding the 25-year-old as he was presented to the rest of the squad.

Coutinho’s return comes too late to push him into contention for Barcelona’s next outing. 

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The Catalans visit Betis on Sunday, buoyed after nearest La Liga rivals Atletico Madrid dropped two points in a 1-1 draw with Girona.

A win in Andalucia would see Barca move a massive 11 points clear at the summit, with rivals Real Madrid trailing far behind as the season moves into its second half. 

Bem-vindo! Great to see @Phil_Coutinho training with his new Barça team-mates today! #ForçaBarçapic.twitter.com/hw6iGHCJKB
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) January 20, 2018

The Brazilian, however, could be in line to feature in Thursday’s Copa del Rey clash against Espanyol, with Barca looking to recover a 1-0 deficit from the first leg at Camp Nou.

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