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The Brazilian, who has been a substitute in the center half for the injured Dutchman, was forced to retire 28 minutes into Tuesday’s 2-0 win over Midtjylland.
Jurgen Klopp could be forgiven for wondering where his luck has gone.
He’s been all smiles for so long at Liverpool, but his grimaces and scowls at Anfield right now. And it has nothing to do with the results, either.
The Reds won again on Tuesday, fighting their way to a lively FC Midtjylland in their first Champions League game of the season at home.
Their 2-0 win was not at all pleasant, thanks to second-half goals from Diogo Jota and substitute Mohamed Salah, but it puts them in a dominant position in their group.
However, the victory may well have come at a cost.
Liverpool’s problems as a center-back are well known, and seeing Fabinho limping here doesn’t ease their concerns.
The Brazilian, replacing in the back after injuring others, lasted only 28 minutes before stopping with a problem. He fell to the grass, shook his head, and seemed to grab onto the back of his right leg.
A hamstring perhaps? That’s the last thing Jurgen Klopp needs right now.
“He (Fabinho) said he could have continued playing, but without sprints, which does not help,” the coach later lamented. “We’ll see what happens. We’ll know more after an exploration.”
With Virgil van Dijk out for months and Joel Matip still not back in training after a mysterious muscle injury sustained on his return to first-team action at Everton 10 days ago, Liverpool’s defensive options are on the edge.
Joe Gomez is the only fit senior center back; The England international can expect to be wrapped in cotton before Saturday’s Premier League clash with West Ham.
Gomez teamed up for the last hour here with Rhys Williams, a 19-year-old who has been through the Reds academy; one that spent all of last season on loan with Kidderminster in the National League North, the sixth professional division of English football.
On Saturday, Williams was playing and scoring for Barry Lewtas’ U23 team against Chelsea in Kirkby, but here he was, three days later, in action on the big stage. His Champions League debut came as a late substitute for Ajax on matchday one, but this was a more substantial treat for the teenager.
He handled it pretty well. There are nuances of Van Dijk in his game: he is relaxed on the ball, competes well in the air and passes with confidence. He is also, as academy staff and his teammates will testify, an excellent conversationalist on the field.
It seems Liverpool will need it now. After West Ham on the weekend they travel to Atalanta next Tuesday, in a meeting of the first two of Group D. Then, on November 8, comes the one everyone was waiting for, a visit to Etihad to face Manchester City.
Maybe Fabinho will be back by then. Perhaps Matip’s problem has also been cleared up. And perhaps the return of the midfielders, mainly Thiago Alcantara and Naby Keita, will allow Klopp to get creative with a defensive option in left field, Jordan Henderson maybe?
However, these are dilemmas without which the manager could do without, especially at the beginning of the campaign. We have been through this challenging season for less than two months, and Liverpool are being forced to come back and get by.
They did it here, just like they did against Sheffield United on Saturday and in Amsterdam before that. The clean sheet will have pleased Klopp, as will the news of Atalanta’s 2-2 draw with Ajax in Italy. A positive result in Bergamo next week will put Liverpool in an excellent position to secure early Group D qualification.
Before that, however, you will expect better news from your medical team. You will hope that the pain, tension, bumps and bruises will be no more.
This was always going to be a tough season, but I couldn’t imagine that I would be in this position before the end of October. Who would be a manager, huh?
The good news is that Liverpool keep winning.
Injuries hurt, whether you’re a great team or indifferent. The victories, however, are the best pain reliever there is.
