James Pearce says Fabinho is “still clearly trying to get back to where he was”.
What did he say?
It was a difficult night for Liverpool on Tuesday at the Wanda Metropolitano. The Reds were defeated 1-0 thanks to an early Saul Niguez goal, and they failed to make Jan Oblak work – they couldn’t even manage a single shot on target.
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Following the match, the Liverpool reporter was holding a Q&A with supporters on The Athletic, with one fan asking about the situation of Fabinho, saying that the 26-year-old has been poor since coming back from injury. Pearce replied: “I agree with you on Fabinho. Still clearly trying to get back to where he was. Very rusty.”
Not the same
Earlier on this campaign, the £63m-valued Brazil international – as per Transfermarkt – was described by Gary Neville as the best defensive midfielder in the world (Sky Sports via Metro).
When he came off injured against Napoli in the Champions League group stage, there will have been worries that his absence would be a big blow to the Anfield outfit.
In the end, there were no issues to speak of. Jurgen Klopp’s side won all of their fixtures without the former AS Monaco man – bar the 5-0 loss against Aston Villa in the League Cup – and kept six clean sheets in eight Premier League matches. They also kept RB Salzburg out in the Champions League.
Since his return, he has started just three matches – Liverpool have won just one of those clashes, drawing one 2-2 and losing the match against Atletico. Clearly, he is struggling to get back up to speed at Anfield following his significant absence from the field.
With Jordan Henderson now potentially on the sidelines for a while due to a hamstring injury, it is even more crucial that Fabinho rediscovers his form. Whilst the Premier League may be all but won due to the Reds’ 22-point lead at the top of the table, the Champions League and FA Cup are still up for grabs. The midfielder has a big role to play in the pursuit of those trophies – his boss needs to be able to rely on him.
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