Liverpool take on Chelsea in the Premier League on Thursday and Fabinho is set to make a comeback after a short injury layoff.
The Brazilian has been one of the most consistent figures for Liverpool this season but he has missed the last four games due to a muscle injury. Thankfully, the midfielder has trained ahead of the Chelsea game and is now available for selection.
But now, the big problem for Jurgen Klopp is whether to use Fabinho in his usual role in midfield or does the 27-year-old slot back into the central defensive role, something which he has done for most of this season.
“Both is possible,” Klopp said when asked if Fabinho will play in central defence or midfield.
“That’s good and gives us options in different moments. I think if we can find a way to bring Fab back in midfield that would be, in some games, quite helpful.
“I think the most consistent player this season probably is Gini Wijnaldum. Long may it continue and he played the No.6 and pretty much all the positions and all these kind of things. But with Fab on six, in some games that would be absolutely helpful. So we will see.
“But both things are really intense, if you play centre-half or you play six.
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“In the past we had to bring the players when they came back always immediately because another player left the pitch in the game before injured or whatever and this time we don’t have to do that – [for] the first time, maybe. But there are still a lot games to come so we will see.
“So, is Fab close enough to start [against Chelsea] or is he only ready for the bench, which would already be completely fine? Then we will see which position and these decisions are obviously still to make and even if I would have made them already, I wouldn’t tell you exactly what the decision is. Let’s see.”
Ozan Kabak seems to have settled down at Liverpool so he will remain in the starting line-up against Chelsea but with Fabinho back in contention, the manager will not want to use someone like Nathaniel Phillips on Thursday.
The likes of Mount, Werner and Giroud can cause a lot of problems at Anfield so Klopp will want someone like the Brazilian in central defence to calm things a bit.
Also, the trio of Wijnaldum, Curtis Jones and Thiago have done a great job in the middle of the park so the last thing the manager will want is to change this formula.
