Jurgen Klopp lauded the influence of Fabinho in his pre-match presser, telling reporters how the Brazilian had given greater freedom to fellow midfielders Gini Wijnaldum and Thiago Alcantara, as reported by liverpoolfc.com.
The No.3 had been out of action since the Reds’ humbling defeat against Manchester City in early February with a muscle injury.
“If you have Gini on the ‘six’ you miss him on the ‘eight’ as well. A lot of things which were settled before were unsettled after that and yes, Fabinho helps everybody on the pitch in both directions if he can play his natural position,” the former Dortmund coach explained. “Fabinho played, yes, for the first time in a long time on ‘six’ and you see of course the difference he can make in defending stuff but connecting as well and these kinds of things.”
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How important is Fabinho to Liverpool’s success this season?
It’s no coincidence that the return of Fabinho to the midfield three coincided with the most brilliantly attacking display we’ve witnessed from Thiago since, dare we say it, the first Merseyside derby of the season.
Our No.5 also appeared to flourish against RB Leipzig in the Champions League midweek, with the Dutchman contributing to a potent Liverpool display.
While the former Monaco star deserves all of his plaudits for his deputising in the backline, the sheer influence the 27-year-old supplies in the centre of the park is second to none.
Acting as a buffer for the defence, not to mention the freedom he offers to his midfield partners, Fabinho will be crucial to our remaining efforts this term.
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