Jurgen Klopp confirmed prior to Liverpool’s 3-1 dismantling of Tottenham this evening that the decision not to field Fabinho was precautionary more than anything.
That being said, the German has yet to confirm the period of time the Reds could face without the midfielder-turned-defender, which could point to a more serious issue than has been officially revealed.
Klopp on Fabinho: "It was nothing really. He just felt something so we had to take him out. It wasn't in a challenge or anything." #LFC
— James Pearce (@JamesPearceLFC) January 28, 2021
Blatantly obvious every week that Liverpool need another centre-back. Fabinho overworked & now injured. Not doing anything in the transfer window is just negligent.
— Leanne Prescott (@_lfcleanne) January 28, 2021
Either way, with Joel Matip set for another lengthy spell on the sidelines courtesy of an “ankle ligament” injury, it has become crystal clear that the current charade has gone on for long enough – Liverpool need to get a centre-back in before the window closes.
Klopp has struggled to keep the side competitive without his starting centre-back duo, a challenge now further compounded by the losses of our makeshift centre-half and our unreliable No.32.
While we could have potentially survived the second-half of the season with the pair, (had they not succumbed to injury), the current situation calls for immediate action in the winter window.
We can accept that the Reds won’t be able to bring in their top defensive target for the summer but at this point we just need a man to come in a do a job at the back without necessarily setting the world alight.