RIO DE JANEIRO, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- Former Liverpool, Barcelona and Bayern Munich midfielder Philippe Coutinho is set to make his debut for Santos against Sao Paulo in Brazil's Serie A on Friday.
The 34-year-old trained strongly with the first team on Thursday and is expected to be named by manager Cuca in Santos' matchday squad, news outlet Globo Esporte reported.
Coutinho joined Santos on a free transfer in September after agreeing to a contract that runs until December.
He hasn't played since parting ways with Vasco da Gama in February, citing mental fatigue.
The move has reunited the playmaker with long-time friend Neymar, who is said to have played a pivotal role in Coutinho's decision to join the club. The pair previously played together for Brazil at both youth and senior levels, including at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Coutinho is the latest in a series of recent high-profile signings for Santos, joining former Barcelona and Juventus midfielder Arthur Melo and ex-Brazil forward Everton Cebolinha. ■
