Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana has claimed that he never expected to play 73 minutes against Watford in his first appearance since returning from a thigh injury.

The 28-year-old spent six weeks out of action after suffering an injury while on England duty, but he was forced on early at Vicarage Road on Monday night.

Thirteen minutes into the Reds' 1-0 victory, Philippe Coutinho was hauled off the pitch after suffering a dead leg in a challenge with Adrian Mariappa.

"It was a bonus. I didn't expect to come on so early but these things happen," Lallana told Sky Sports News. "You've got to be prepared mentally for anything. Phil was unlucky to get a knock, sometimes when you get these knees to the side of the quad you can't run them off.

"It's a massive blow for us. Hopefully we can get him fit for the weekend because he's such a big player for us. I had to come on and I felt I got into the game quite quickly, I didn't feel like I'd lost too much rhythm. I was a bit tired at the end, but I've had five or six weeks out of the game so that's only normal."

Liverpool currently sit third in the Premier League table, three points above Manchester City and four above Manchester United with three games left to play.