Philippe Coutinho has insisted that he was "not surprised" to see Lucas Leiva have a "good game" during Liverpool's 1-0 win over Stoke City in the Premier League.
The Brazilian retained his place in the side after playing in the Champions League earlier this week, and helped the Reds keep a clean sheet to end a run of five matches without a win in all competitions.
Coutinho told the club's website: "I'm not surprised that Lucas had a good game. He has been training well and he's a hard-working guy. I'm very happy for him for his appearances and for the whole team having won the three points today.
"The mood is good in the dressing room, but the players are already thinking about the next game. We want to try and take the positives from this game and try to take advantage of that and win the next match."
In his first Premier League start since September, Lucas helped Liverpool secure a win which moved them up to 11th in the table.
Sian Cowper
