Fabinho arrived at Liverpool during the summer from Ligue 1 outfit Monaco. During his time with Monaco, the Brazil international established himself as one of the best midfielders in the French top-flight.
He also played a key role for the club during the 2016-17 season, as they shocked the World of football by winning the Ligue 1 and advancing to the semi-finals of that season’s Champions League.
There are high expectations at Anfield for Fabinho, and many fans expected him to walk straight into Jurgen Klopp’s first-team. However, so far that has not been the case. He has failed to register a single appearance so far during the Reds’ three consecutive League wins against West Ham, Crystal Palace, and Brighton & Hove Albion. He also did not make the match-day squad for the game against Brighton.
Fabinho’s chance is likely to come at some point, but it will be very surprising if he starts against Leicester on Saturday, considering that the Reds have so far been dynamic.
The reason why Fabinho has not been played is due to the presence of Gini Wijnaldum. The 27-year-old Wijnaldum was expected by some to leave Anfield during the transfer window, following the club’s heavy spending. However, it looks like the Dutchman could be set to play a key role for Klopp’s troops this season.
Wijnaldum was arguably the best Reds player against Brighton. Wijnaldum is so important to Klopp’s current game-plan that he has not only kept Fabinho out of the starting XI, but also Jordan Henderson, who has so far been restricted to sub appearances.
