Sebastian Coates Today’s talkSPORT has indicated to the many punters in the Football Transfer Tavern that we could see a departure from Anfield sooner than expected.

Speculation is rife among the bar staff that Liverpool defender Sebatian Coates is edging closer to ending his disappointing spell at Anfield with a return to his native Uruguay on loan.

The once highly rated centre back has struggled to adapt to life in the Premier League since joining the club in 2011, with persistent injuries seemingly preventing him from been given a proper chance in Brendan Rodgers’ team.

Fellow central defenders Mamadou Sakho and Kolo Toure arrived in the summer, leaving Coates with a fringe position among the Reds outfit as he tries to recover from yet another injury.

This makes today’s reports slightly strange for punters with the defender understood to be sidelined until the spring with his current knee problem, but the speculation suggests that Uruguayan club Nacional Montevideo are eager to take him on loan.

It is thought that Coates, who has only started six Premier League matches for the Reds, still maintains hope of landing a place in the Uruguay World Cup squad, and that could see him looking for a short term stint away from Anfield.

He told talkSPORT: “You always think positively, I think that’s the most important thing,

“In my case, I keep myself going by focusing on getting back as quickly as I can, and with the national team, the World Cup is another goal to help me with my recovery,