Jurgen Klopp has offered a positive update on Fabinho, who went off just minutes after entering as sub against Cardiff due to a head injury.
The Brazilian was surprisingly left on the bench for the game in Wales, with Gini Wijnaldum instead taking up the deepest role in midfield.
Jordan Henderson and Naby Keita filled the No. 8 berths, but Fabinho was called upon with 20 minutes remaining in place of Keita.
Within seconds, he’d competed for an aerial ball and took a heavy hit to the back of the head, requiring medical attention.
It was clear that the Liverpool No. 3 wanted to come back on and play his part for the team, but the decision was taken out of his hands and Klopp was forced into an immediate second change.
As it happened, that sub had an impact: James Milner came on and scored the game’s second goal from the penalty spot, but the Reds won’t want to be without Fabinho for long after he has become an integral member of the team’s strongest lineup.
Speaking after the game, Klopp affirmed that the Brazilian seemed perfectly fine, though there was a momentary concern at the time where there was no room for indecision.
“It was very unlucky. Fabinho is OK but he had a bit of shaky legs and dizzy that’s of course not a good sign in the moment,” the boss explained post-match.
“It’s a 100 per cent ‘yes’ or go off; if it’s 95 per cent in that game in that position, we cannot make that decision [to stay on]. It’s all good.”
Given the importance of the position and with the game being poised at 1-0 at the time, it’s no surprise that Klopp and Co. opted for the sensible, safety-first approach.
Fabinho later tweeted his thanks for well-wishes from fans—and reiterated that he was fine after the momentary worry.
Obrigado por todas as mensagens e preocupação. Está tudo bem comigo e estou muito feliz pela nossa vitória. Vamos continuar nossa luta até o fim!
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Thanks for all the messages and concern. Everything's good and I'm very happy with our win. We'll keep fighting until the end!— Fabinho (@_fabinhotavares) April 21, 2019
The Brazilian and his team-mates now have five days to fully recover, before the next Premier League game against Huddersfield on Friday night.
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