The Spaniard has impressed since his summer arrival at Stamford Bridge from Fiorentina.
The left wing-back helped Chelsea maintain their lead at the summit of the Premier League during their 13-game winning run under Antonio Conte.
But former Blues coach Wilkins has slammed the 26-year-old, claiming Chelsea would be in a better position if they kept Bertrand - who was sold to Southampton two years ago.
| Saints tracking young free agent Larouci | Southampton are reportedly interested in signing young free agent Yasser Larouci. A report from Goal this morning … 10-01-2017 |
WHICH team is most likely to lift the FA Cup - according to the Bookies?
The draw for the Fourth Round of the competition was made last night.
Premier League heavyweights Chelsea and Manchester United have been handed home ties against Brentford and Wigan respectively.
Manchester City travel to either Crystal Palace or Bolton, while Liverpool will have a home clash against Wolves to look forward to if they beat Plymouth.
But which side is most likely to win the tournament, according to the latest odds from Ladbrokes?
Click through the gallery above to see the FA Cup odds.
The Reds take on the Saints in the first leg of their EFL Cup semi-final at St Mary’s tomorrow night. Coutinho, 24, is set to return to the squad after almost seven weeks out with an ankle ligament injury. Klopp will assess Coutinho’s fitness over the next 24 hours but expects to be able to give him some game time from the bench.
“The time is not long enough for him to be 100 per cent for Manchester United” He hopes Coutinho could then be in contention to start against Manchester United on Sunday in their Premier League clash, even though he won’t be 100 per cent. The Liverpool manager said: “The time is not long enough for him to be 100 per cent for Manchester United but he could play. “We have spoken before about there being a difference between being fit and being match fit but, of course, it’s Phil so we want to try everything we can to bring him as close as possible to his 100 per cent.
“In this moment I would say it makes sense for him to be involved against Southampton, in the squad, and we will see what happens there – whether we have to use him or not. “We would only leave him out because of United if a few minutes did not make sense, and a few minutes for him does make sense.
Jurgen Klopp has told Barcelona what they can do with their £60million interest in Philippe Coutinho.
The Brazilian midfielder makes his comeback against Southampton on Wednesday night in the EFL Cup semi-final.
And Liverpool boss Klopp says no amount of money will force him to sell his prize asset this month or in the summer despite knowing that Barcelona will not back off in their attempts to force a move.
Klopp said: “We never had any ideas or plans or any talks about him leaving, because he is our player – there are no other ideas, nothing has changed.”
However, he did admit though, that big clubs like Barca wouldn’t be put off, just because Coutinho has been sidelined for almost two months.
“Big clubs don’t think in this way unfortunately. It was not a big injury so there was no question of him not being the same player afterwards.
“It would be nice if big clubs forgot about a player completely because he’s been injured for five or six weeks.
“I’m not sure it’s like this though, but he is our player and that is it.”
The Reds boss will rush his star back for the cup showdown at St Mary’s, as he attempts to gain a crucial advantage in the first leg.
The manager said Coutinho will be on the bench for the semi, despite his lack of match fitness, with one eye on Sunday’s league game against Manchester United.
“I would say it makes sense for him to be involved against Southampton, in the squad. We will see what happens there, whether we have to use him or not.
“We would only leave him out because of United if a few minutes didn’t make sense, and a few minutes for him does make sense.
“There is a big difference to being fit and match fit, but of course it’s Phil, so we want to try everything we can to bring him close to his 100 per cent.”
While one Brazilian is on the top of the world after his return, another in Roberto Firmino is suffering at present, after the double blow of a drink-drive charge just before Christmas, and a burglary at his house soon after.
The Brazil international forward is reported to have moved out of his house on Merseyside because of the break-in, but Klopp insisted the striker is as committed as ever to the Liverpool cause.
“What can I say? It’s been difficult. But he has dealt really well with it on the pitch,”the manager said of the burglary.
“There was the other incident which was around the same time, and he was outstanding in training. Both things happened pretty much around the same period of time. That is how Roberto is.
“When he is on the pitch, he thinks about nothing else other than football. It is a big strength of him, I would say, but it has not been nice.”
Liverpool playmaker Philippe Coutinho is set to return to action after almost seven weeks out to boost manager Jurgen Klopp’s attacking options ahead of Wednesday’s game at St Mary’s.
Klopp is unrepentant about fielding the club’s youngest ever line-up in the FA Cup goalless draw at home to League Two Plymouth despite a dearth of chances.
Coutinho’s comeback after ankle ligament damage could help alleviate that issue at Southampton in the first leg of the EFL Cup semi-final on Wednesday.
If the Brazil international can get some competitive game time under his belt it will be an even bigger positive with a trip to Manchester United to come this weekend.
And the side will get another lift pre-Old Trafford with Jordan Henderson set to join team training on Thursday after a heel problem.
“I think Phil is fit enough to be part of the squad and that means there could be minutes, but it depends on the game,” said Klopp.
"It was six or seven weeks and that is long so he needs minutes in training especially but then as soon as possible minutes in games.
"No final decision has been made until now but tomorrow would be his fourth session with the team.
“It is not that many but for being in the squad it is enough.”
Klopp is likely to restore many of his first-choice players who were rested on Sunday but he insists that is not a reflection on the youngsters, five of whom were teenagers, who toiled away against Argyle.
“The question I asked this morning in the dressing room was ‘Could we have done better?’ 100 per cent yes with this line-up,” he added.
"I don’t expect perfection but I have high expectations because I see them every day in training and I was convinced we could play really well.
"I have absolutely no problem with criticism but it was not about underestimating an opponent.
"It is not about young, old, whatever. It is about which line-up made the most sense because of the injury situations of the players and the timing: when do we play who?
“Now we have 18, 19 or 20 players ready for the game. A few of them played yesterday and we have to see how they react and how the other players who were not involved are.”
Klopp guided Liverpool to the League Cup and Europa League finals last season, his first in charge, and the expectation is he will repeat the first of those feats this time around with a potential Wembley meeting with arch-rivals Manchester United in the offing.
However, he ruled out the chance of complacency creeping into his squad despite the favourites tag.
“Anyone who says this has no real idea about cup competitions because in the last few years all over the world it would have been the same teams involved,” said the Reds boss.
"I don’t think Liverpool-Sevilla was the expected (Europa League) final last year but we were there and we deserved it.
"There is no more pressure on us. It is an opportunity. It is always a new day.
“I said to the lads last year it would not be the last final they would be involved in and this is the first chance to prove this.”
Claude Puel has hinted that Jose Fonte could be left out of the Saints squad until the end of the January transfer window.
The Saints defender has turned down the chance to extend his contract and take a pay rise, and has told the club he wishes to leave this month.
Puel has been prepared to play Fonte over the past few months, despite knowing his skipper’s feelings on the matter, but with the window open is now having to make a decisive stand.
Although matters could change if the 33-year-old is still at the club at the close of the window, or if Saints really need Fonte to step into the breach during their fixture pile-up, Puel indicated he would be left out for the time being, including for tomorrow night’s EFL Cup semi-final first leg tie with Liverpool at St Mary’s.
Puel said: “I want to keep stability for these games with a player without movement in the window market. It is important to keep stability on the team and it is difficult for us, for me, with a player perhaps in two days here and two days out to another club. It is just to respect this.
“It is a particular situation and I try to have the good answer but it’s not easy. It’s not easy for the staff, it’s not easy for the player to play with this condition and this situation. It is not easy for the squad but we are professional, and our work is to give an answer on particular work, and this is a particular situation in the window market.”
The decision leaves Puel with just two experienced centre halves - Virgil van Dijk and Maya Yoshida – while youngster Jack Stephens might also be required with a hectic period in progress.
“Perhaps we will see Stephens for example, a possibility, and after with Jose the situation for the moment is this,” said Puel.
“After the window market it will be another situation and we will see at this moment.
“For the moment it is a reality and we take this reality and this situation to keep stability normal.
“I say Jose we keep stability for the next game and we will see for the next game.”
When asked whether Fonte could play at all this month, or the situation remains the same until he leaves or the window closes, Puel replied: “I cannot answer game after game.
“The situation for the next games is this, but I know that if we need with the urgency of the situation I know I can count about Jose, because it’s a professional player, important, and I know he gives the best on the ground. This is important.
“I respect Jose and I know we can count on him if the situation is like this.”