Raheem Sterling, Philippe Coutinho Fitness Underlines Liverpool's Need to Rotate

Liverpool saw off Tottenham Hotspur, 3-2, in an entertaining game at Anfield on Tuesday evening. Striker Mario Balotelli's first Premier League goal for the club late on proved the match-winner. 

Reds manager Brendan Rodgers will have many positives to take from the match, not least the fact his side are now just a point behind one of their main rivals for a top-four finish. In fact, they're now just three points behind third-placed Southampton, who have a game in hand.

Another huge positive for Rodgers will be the return of Daniel Sturridge, making his first start for the club since August. The England forward gave Liverpool a new dimension upfront, and his runs in behind showed what the Reds have missed in his absence. 

Sturridge's movement was good, but his touch was a little rusty, which can only be expected after so long on the sideline.

Coutinho

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Another player who looked a little off the pace was Philippe Coutinho. The Brazilian midfielder has been in scintillating form of late, but on his 16th consecutive start during a packed fixture list, he struggled to impact the game as he has so often recently.

Having hit the winner at Bolton Wanderers last week, Coutinho was also on the receiving end of many bruising challenges from the Championship side. That was followed by more robust treatment in the Merseyside derby, which saw him removed before the hour mark with a "knock on his knee," as per Rodgers on the official LFC website.

A doubt ahead of the Spurs clash, Coutinho struggled in the playmaker role behind the forward, with a poor pass completion number of 66 percent, per Squawka. The 22-year-old was far less dynamic than usual and could clearly benefit from a rest.

Sterling

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The other youngster who has been key in Liverpool's resurgent form since December has of course been Raheem Sterling. He and Coutinho have been the integral part of Liverpool's attack and shouldered more than their fair share of responsibility—evidenced perfectly by the two of them digging the Reds out of a hole at Bolton in the FA Cup.

Similar to Coutinho, Sterling was visibly getting knocked about at Bolton and then again against Everton. He was replaced later on in that game, and the foot injury he suffered then kept him out against Spurs.

The Merseyside derby was Sterling's seventh start in a row—in just 21 days—while playing as the side's makeshift centre-forward. No wonder he eventually succumbed to injury.

Indeed, of Liverpool's outfield players, only Jordan Henderson has made more appearances this campaign than Sterling and Coutinho. All three of them could benefit from a rest when the Reds travel to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup this Saturday.

Crystal Palace

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As the Tottenham game entered its final stages, Rodgers withdrew the decidedly laboured Steven Gerrard, apparently suffering with his hamstring, and he moved Emre Can into the midfield.

The German has been outstanding of late and was again on this occasion—the driving force in midfield—one which Liverpool had actually lacked with Henderson and Gerrard failing to impact in this manner.

With defender Kolo Toure returning from African Cup of Nations duty ahead of the trip to Selhurst Park, Rodgers could start Can in the midfield and bring Toure in on the right side of the back three.

Rodgers has already shown how seriously he is taking the FA Cup this season, but he must resist the temptation to play any of Sterling, Coutinho and Henderson and protect them for the far more important matter of Southampton and Manchester City in their next two Premier League games.