Liverpool were dealt an untimely injury blow after Fabinho was forced off at Aston Villa and the midfield lynchpin is now to miss the FA Cup final with a hamstring strain.
With only four games remaining in the space of 16 days, any minor injury could prove season-ending.
The hope is that is not the case for Fabinho, who played only 30 minutes at Villa Park before having to be replaced thanks to a left hamstring strain.
And The Times‘ Paul Joyce has now confirmed what many had already assumed, that the FA Cup final is to be beyond Fabinho‘s powers of recovery after scans confirmed a hamstring strain.
Joyce goes on to say that he will also miss Liverpool’s remaining league games against Southampton (May 17) and Wolves (May 22).
That leaves the Champions League final on May 28 as “the focus for the player,” with a training return in the build-up to the Paris showpiece to “give him a chance of being involved.”
That makes for a two-week recovery window and seeing him feature before the Champions League final would be a welcome sight indeed for the Reds, such is the No. 3’s importance to Jurgen Klopp.
In his absence, Jordan Henderson will drop into the No. 6 role and largely be accompanied by Thiago, with the likes of Naby Keita, Curtis Jones and James Milner continuing to rotate through the remaining spot.
On Wednesday, Brazil named Fabinho in their squad for next month’s internationals and their fitness coach Fabio Mahseredjian was “optimistic” he is to be in contention against Real Madrid.
“We don’t have all the information yet, but we are optimistic that he will make the Champions League final,” Mahseredjian said.
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