Liverpool title hopes suddenly rest on Fabinho's ability to fill in at centre-half. After not featuring in the first 10 weeks of Liverpool ’s Premier League campaign, Fabinho has now become critical to their title bid — but not in his usual midfield position.
Jurgen Klopp will ask the £43.7million Brazil international to help out in defence because Dejan Lovren’s hamstring injury has left him with Virgil van Dijk as his only fit senior centre-half.
Klopp deployed Fabinho at the heart of the Reds' back-line in Monday night's FA Cup third-round loss at Wolves and the midfielder adapted well to this unfamiliar role. WIN £25,000 for FREE with Footie5 - click here to play
The 25-year-old’s stock has risen in recent weeks after being unable to get a kick in the opening couple of months.
Klopp felt Fabinho needed time to acclimatise to English football following a summer switch from French heavyweights Monaco and only believed he was ready to make his Premier League debut on October 20.
He made his first league start a week later and has since played in 12 top-flight games for the Anfield giants.
Fabinho is expected to feature in his 13th at Brighton on Saturday because Liverpool’s other two recognised centre-halves, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip, are also injured.
Gomez is 10 days to two weeks away from returning from a fractured lower left leg, and Matip is also expected back this month following a broken collarbone.
Liverpool’s defensive injury crisis adds to the pressure on them after suffering their first back-to-back defeats of the season, but bullish Xherdan Shaqiri is confident the Reds can cope.
“I think we have enough players who can jump in,” said the Swiss star. “This season, we have the depth. There are a lot of players who are going to come in and give everything and the quality is still there.”
Croatia international Lovren pulled up just five minutes into the defeat at Molineux and was expected to have a scan on Tuesday.
Liverpool are trying to determine how long he will be out for, and Klopp claimed there were no tell-tale signs the injury-prone World Cup finalist was about to break down again.
Never want to miss the latest transfer news or match reports?
We've got newsletters sending you the latest from the football world or, more specifically, for Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Sign up here to receive stories straight to your inbox.
“Hamstring’s what I heard,” said the Liverpool boss. “Without any signs before. I asked everybody - no signs, nothing, just out of the blue.”
Klopp is fortunate Liverpool have only three more games in January.
He had already ruled out signing another defender in the transfer window before Lovren was injured, claiming Liverpool would not be able to get the calibre of player they would want.
The German is also confident Gomez and Matip will soon be back to increase his options.
Liverpool title hopes suddenly rest on Fabinho's ability to fill in at centre half video phone beyonce mp3 | |
| 1 Likes | 1 Dislikes |
| 4 views views | 400 followers |
| Sports | Upload TimePublished on 8 Jan 2019 |
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét