Jurgen Klopp admitted there was no clear explanation for Fabinho’s falling performance levels, although he explained that he had no choice but to continue to field the Brazilian in light of Liverpool’s current circumstances.
The German’s comments from the embargoed section of his press conference (replayed on Twitter by @TheAnfieldTalk) make it clear that he is not worried about the 29-year-old’s difficulties.
Klopp on Fabinho’s low level:
“No, there is no real explanation and it is not a system change. I’m pretty sure it’s not an explanation. In a long race, players have some kind of falls. You usually fix that by not playing as often, but Fab had to play in our situation.”
— The Anfield Talk (@TheAnfieldTalk) November 4, 2022
It has hardly helped, of course, that injuries prevent the 55-year-old from giving the former Monaco man the break his departures in 2022/23 would have warranted.
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Napoli could have marked a turning point for Fabinho, with Klopp himself noting that our number 3 had improved his performance against a team that had yet to lose a game all season, in all competitions!
Whether this is a sign of incoming consistency or just another European problem remains to be seen before the return of domestic action brings us all crashing to earth.
If we can get our defensive midfielder anywhere near his best on Sunday and beyond, there is no doubt that our chances of securing three wins from three before the World Cup arrives will improve significantly.
#Ep63 of the Podcast The Empire of the Kop: Klopp’s ridiculous accusations of xenophobia, Núñez shining… and more!
