Liverpool got past a resilient Aston Villa on Tuesday night but Fabinho has seemingly picked up an injury during the first half of that 2-1 win.
The defensive midfielder pulled his hamstring while chasing down his own loose pass and now he’s a doubt for the trip to Wembley on Saturday.
Fabinho has been one of the standout performers for Liverpool this season and according to pundit Michael Owen, the midfielder has only himself to blame.
He said on Premier League Productions: “It’s a big one, one of the first names on the team sheet. You know what, it was his own fault in a way. It was a really poor first touch which made him chase the ball back. Look at his left hand hold his left hamstring.”
Will Fabinho miss the FA Cup final?
Only further scans will show the extent of the injury but the worry is Jurgen Klopp is that apart from playing in the FA Cup final, his side also has a Champions League final looming on the horizon.
The UCL final is towards the end of the month so the Brazilian does have some time to recover but we don’t think his manager will risk him on Saturday.
Fabinho leaves the pitch injured.
Liverpool still have the FA Cup and Champions League finals to play this season. pic.twitter.com/EDkwgqHXez
— GOAL News (@GoalNews) May 10, 2022
Chelsea are a force to be reckoned with so the last thing Klopp will want is to use a player who’s not 100% fit. As things stand, Fabinho is going to miss the FA Cup final, unless he can make a miraculous recovery within the next three days.
Who will replace Fabinho in defensive midfield?
If Fabinho is unavailable then Jordan Henderson will be the rational choice to replace him.
Thiago can also play in that holding role but the Spaniard lacks pace so there’s a big possibility that players like Mason Mount and Timo Werner will easily bypass his press.
Jordan Henderson should be the one who will slot into the defensive screen on Saturday and from then onwards, Jurgen Klopp will just be praying that Fabinho can recover in time for the Champions League final where he will have to mark Luka Modric.
