Liverpool left-back James Milner has praised Philippe Coutinho after the playmaker made his return to competitive action in the EFL Cup last night.

The Brazilian came on for the final half-hour of the 1-0 first-leg defeat at Southampton, marking his first appearance since November after he was sidelined with an ankle injury.

"He's a top player and every team in the world would miss him," Milner told the Reds' website.

"It's a credit to the boys the amount of goals we have been scoring without him, but it's great to see him back.

"The more minutes he gets, the more comfortable he'll get again. It's not easy when you've been out that long still thinking about the injury, so it was positive for him to get some minutes. The more he plays, the more influential he will be for us again."

Coutinho has scored five goals and registered five assists in 13 Premier League appearances for Jurgen Klopp's side so far this season.