Jamie Carragher believes losing Philippe Coutinho would not be the worst thing in the world for Liverpool because Sadio Mane is more important to their cause this season.

Coutinho topped Barcelona’s wish list once they sold Neymar for £200m, but despite offering Liverpool nearly 60 per cent of that fee, they were not able to land the 25-year-old Brazil international.

As revealed exclusively by The Independent on Tuesday, Coutinho has now accepted that he needs to return to the club and will seek clear-the-air talks with Anfield officials following the latest rejection of a Barcelona offer, believed to be around the £119m mark.

Hoffenheim vs Liverpool player ratings Show all 11 1 /11 Hoffenheim vs Liverpool player ratings Hoffenheim vs Liverpool player ratings Simon Mignolet - 7 out of 10 Liverpool have a lot to thank Mignolet for after his performance against Hoffenheim. He made a string of good stops in the first half including a penalty save. Liverpool FC via Getty Images Hoffenheim vs Liverpool player ratings Trent Alexander-Arnold – 8 Alexander-Arnold scored a superb free kick to put Liverpool into the lead in the first half and rarely put a foot wrong when defending at the back. Nathaniel Clyne’s route back to the first team might not be not be as easy as first thought. Bongarts/Getty Images Hoffenheim vs Liverpool player ratings Alberto Moreno – 4 The left back was pressing high up the pitch when Hoffenheim attacked the void left by Moreno and won a penalty from Lovren. The Spaniard was continuously caught out of position and needs to defend better if he is to continue to start games. Bongarts/Getty Images Hoffenheim vs Liverpool player ratings Joel Matip - 5 Matip made a crucial interception in the first half when Gnabry was waiting to score. Liverpool were caught on a couple of occasions from set plays, Matip has to be more vocal at the back. Liverpool FC via Getty Images Hoffenheim vs Liverpool player ratings Dejan Lovren – 4 Lovern was left exposed in the first half and brought down Serge Gnabry in the box when the winger took it past him. He was unlucky not to score with a header from a corner which went narrowly past the post. The centre-back was played Uth onside when he scored his goal to give Hoffenheim a glimmer of hope for the second leg. Liverpool FC via Getty Images Hoffenheim vs Liverpool player ratings Georginio Wijnaldum - 6 Wijnaldum also had a quiet game but linked up well with the attacking players in front of him. AFP/Getty Images Hoffenheim vs Liverpool player ratings Emre Can - 6 The German was very strong in the midfield and rarely put a foot wrong. Can was effective when playing a deeper role when Milner came on and was decisive with his passing in the final third. Bongarts/Getty Images Hoffenheim vs Liverpool player ratings Jordan Henderson – 5 The captain came off after a quiet 62 minutes. Henderson was tidy with his passing but produced nothing noteworthy. Getty Hoffenheim vs Liverpool player ratings Mohamed Salah – 6 Liverpool’s summer signing looked threatening when he got forward but was unable to contribute to any goals. Liverpool FC via Getty Images Hoffenheim vs Liverpool player ratings Sadio Mane – 6 As usual, Mane was bright on the break for Liverpool. His quick turn and pace won the free kick which Alexander-Arnold scored to but the Reds ahead. Liverpool FC via Getty Images Hoffenheim vs Liverpool player ratings Roberto Firmino – 5 It was an unusually quiet evening for Roberto Firmino against his former club. He came off late in the second half after failing to add to his goal from the weekend. Liverpool FC via Getty Images

Coutinho has been absent from Liverpool’s opening two Premier League matches as well as their Champions League play-off first leg win over Hoffenheim last week due to a back injury, with the attacking midfielder also set to miss Wednesday’s return fixture against the German side.

While Coutinho has not featured, Mane has excelled and has already scored twice this season, and former Liverpool defender Carragher believes he is more important to Jürgen Klopp than Coutinho currently is.

"I'd make an argument for that, especially with the way Jürgen Klopp likes to play,” Carragher said on Sky Sports. “I think he's [Mane’s] massively important.

“You see the goals that he's got and his goals record for a wide player is phenomenal since he's come to the club.

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“All the other players on the list are top strikers in the Premier League. For Mane to be there, it shows his impact.

“If you compare him to Coutinho, who is a fantastic player which is why Barcelona want him, but if he carries on the way he is going, the top clubs around Europe will be looking at him because he has been a revelation since he came in.”

Coutinho handed in a transfer request in an attempt to force through a move (Getty)

Mane missed the season run-in after suffering a knee injury at the start of April, but still managed to register 15 goals for Liverpool as they secured a fourth-place finish in the league and a place in the Champions League play-offs. Regardless of whether they hold on to their 2-1 aggregate advantage on Wednesday when Hoffenheim visit Merseyside, Carragher now expects Coutinho to stay at the club, although he admits the club have backed themselves into a corner over his future.

After issuing a statement insisting that they would not sell Coutinho under any circumstances, Carragher said that the club needed to stick to their guns and ride out the storm, even when Coutinho handed in a transfer request on the eve of the new season.

But the failure to land summer targets such as Virgil van Dijk and Naby Keita means Klopp’s squad would struggle to cope without Coutinho for the season ahead.

"They will hang onto Coutinho now, of course. I don't think there is any doubt now. I said a few weeks ago that they can't sell him, but the problem is it becomes more political rather than the business of it," Carragher added.

Mane has starred in Coutinho's absence (AFP/Getty) (AFP/Getty Images)

"Liverpool have had such a poor window, they couldn't be seen to be letting go of him. Now if Liverpool three big targets of Virgil Van Dijk, Naby Keita and Mo Salah had all come in the door, it may have been easier to prise him away.