Barcelona attacking midfielder Philippe Coutinho has backed new coach Xavi to bring success back to the troubled Catalan giants. <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/football/2021/11/08/xavi-hernandez-given-heros-welcome-but-aware-of-task-ahead-to-arrest-barcelona-decline/" target="_blank">Xavi returned to the club</a> he graced as a player on Monday to replace Ronald Koeman following the Dutchman's sacking 10 days earlier. Barcelona sit ninth in La Liga after winning just four of their opening 12 league matches. "Xavi was a great player, a football icon, and now he is back home at Barcelona. I hope he has a lot of success with the group that we are," Coutinho said. "Given the person he is, he will definitely do very well at Barcelona." Coutinho, 29, was used sparingly by Koeman after returning from a loan at Bayern Munich 18 months ago having helped the German club win the Champions League, inflicting a <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/football/better-than-beating-brazil-mueller-steals-show-as-bayern-munich-hammer-barcelona-1.1063704" target="_blank">humiliating 8-2 defeat on Barca</a> en route to the title. Coutinho suffered a knee injury last December that ended his season and following two operations he has played little this campaign. He has nonetheless earned himself a recall to the Brazil squad for this month's World Cup qualifiers against Colombia and Argentina. "It's like it was my first time," said Coutinho of his surprise recall to coach Tite's squad after a year out. "It's always an honour to wear this jersey." Brazil can book their ticket to Qatar if they beat Colombia on Thursday, and a draw would also be enough should Uruguay lose to Argentina the next day.