Fabinho is facing a race against time to be fit for the Champions League final against Real Madrid on May 28 after limping off in the first half against Aston Villa on Tuesday night.
The Brazilian has reportedly suffered a hamstring injury which the Times claims will keep him out of the FA Cup final against Chelsea on Saturday, as well as the Reds’ final two Premier League games of the season against Southampton and Wolves. However, he has been included in the Brazil squad for the upcoming June international break.
Whether he is fit for the Champions League final or not, his absence is a blow for Jurgen Klopp with the 28-year-old one of the first names on the German’s teamsheet and one of the best holding midfielders in the world. Jordan Henderson is now expected to finish the season in Liverpool’s deeper role, however, the loss of Fabinho limits the Reds’ options at a time when their midfield has repeatedly been rotated as they chase down an unprecedented quadruple.
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While Liverpool boast eight senior midfield options, the departure of Gini Wijnaldum last summer left Fabinho and Henderson as Klopp’s only two options in the deeper role, with youngster Tyler Morton having to step up in such a position when the Reds suffered a number of injuries in the engine room before Christmas.
As a result, the German must decide whether he avoids rotating his captain, who has already made more appearances (53) than anyone else this season, in Liverpool’s final matches, ask the likes of James Milner to play an unfamiliar role to protect Henderson’s legs ahead of the Champions League final or turn to the 19-year-old Morton who has played just once since January.
None of the scenarios are ideal with it a blessing that the loss of Fabinho has come with only four games of the season remaining, even if two of them are cup finals. And with Klopp perhaps needing to continue to manage Henderson carefully in the years ahead, as he has done this campaign by not starting him every week, it presents a dilemma of who else can fulfil that role with the duo the club’s only recognisable options as the ‘number six’.
However, Liverpool do perhaps boast one ‘outside of the box’ option who could step up as their holding midfielder in the absence of Fabinho if the Reds wanted to rest Henderson, with one of Klopp’s ranks actually starting his career in that very position.
Although now an undisputed centre-back, Joel Matip actually played in midfield when he first broke through for Schalke in 2009/10, with Transfermarkt listing him as playing as a defensive midfielder at least 50 times for the German outfit before cementing his place in defence.
As a result, it wasn’t until 2011/12 when he started to play more as a centre-back, and he’d still make sporadic appearances in midfield up until 2013/14. While that might now be eight years ago, the 30-year-old certainly still demonstrates such attributes that could see him step up from defence, such as his dribbling when bringing the ball out of defence, his distribution and his ability to win the ball back, with even his build similar to the Brazilian.
Obviously asking Matip to play in a role he hasn’t played in for a number of seasons is far from ideal, but he’d at least be a senior option with experience there in the absence of Fabinho, should Klopp wish to protect Henderson with a Champions League final on the horizon. And with Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez more than capable of starting in defence alongside Virgil van Dijk in his absence, it is at least one way to maintain the Reds’ ongoing rotation at the business end of the season.
Henderson looks certain to start the FA Cup final against Chelsea in the deeper midfield role, and will also be utilised there against Real Madrid if Fabinho isn’t fit to start. But for Premier League clashes with Southampton and Wolves, it wouldn’t be the worst time to try such an experiment as Man City close in on the title.
Whether such an unorthodox solution would even enter Klopp’s head as he looks to win the quadruple, only the German could answer. The fact that he has never utilised Matip in midfield before perhaps suggests it would ultimately be an unlikely answer at this time.
His ideal scenario would be Henderson coming through these next three games unscathed with Fabinho returning fit for the Champions League. But desperate times call for desperate measures, and while Liverpool aren’t anywhere near such a dire situation yet, Matip is one option to answer that unwanted call if the time ever comes.
