If Virgil van Dijk's serious injury has accelerated things, repositioning Fabinho in central defense has been trotting in Jürgen Klopp's head for a long time.
It is therefore more than a backup plan for Liverpool before facing Midtjylland on Tuesday in the Champions League (9 p.m.).
This summer, the departure of Croatian Dejan Lovren from Zenith Saint Petersburg posed a dilemma for the leaders of the Reds, reluctant to spend a lot in a context marked by the crisis linked to the Covid.
Names of central defenders had circulated well, such as those of Kalidou Koulibaly from Naples or Dayot Upamecano from Leipzig.
But bringing in a potential third holder in a hinge that probably includes the best defender in the world, Virgil van Dijk, and an English international, Joe Gomez, with good performances, for a sum that would have largely exceeded 50 million euros, does not didn't seem very reasonable.
Finding a player experienced and capable enough to play for Liverpool, but humble enough to accept a role as an understudy was also far from obvious.
Soon enough, Klopp accepted the idea that Fabinho would be the fourth man in central defense, along with Cameroonian Joel Matip.
A repositioning that is not a first
He had already aligned him for this position in the league against Brighton (1-0) during the 2018-2019 season and a few days later in Munich (0-0) in the knockout stages of the Champions League, and this season again at Chelsea (2-0) even before the absence of van Dijk, for three matches without conceding a goal.
The Dutchman's long-term absence and the stacking of matches in a very dense season could cause Liverpool to reconsider their decision this winter, but against the modest Danes of Midtjylland on Tuesday, the Brazilian will still be aligned in the hinge.
Carried from the position of right side to that of defensive midfielder during his career, the versatility of the 27-year-old player is no longer to prove and his rating within the staff of the Reds either.
"Joe
(Gomez)
and Fabinho have to get used to each other, they have to get used to the verbal communication requirements of the position to help the environment."
Jurgen klopp
“In the organized chaos that we want, that we love, he is like a beacon, he controls it,” Pepijn Linders, Klopp's deputy, had said of him in February 2019. “His timing, his vision of the game, his calm, all this gives a new dimension to our environment, ”he added.
These qualities, which are also those of van Dijk, he also brings them in defense, even if he is certainly less strong in the duels and the head game.
The victory in Amsterdam against Ajax on the first day (1-0), however, confirmed that this option was quite viable over time.
"It was good, but Fabinho can play even better," said Klopp, who had pointed to an area where there is still significant room for improvement: "Joe and Fabinho must get used to each other, they must s '' get used to the position's verbal communication requirements to help the community. "
“Obviously I'm not Virgil,” admitted Fabinho, referring not only to his teammate's specific qualities as a defender, but also to his role on the pitch and in the locker room.
“The coach told me that I had to talk more (...).
I have to try to do a little of what Virgil does constantly.
I have to try to organize the team.
Talking to the team is trying to be a leader, ”he said.
But with Fabinho, Liverpool and their supporters can wait for the warm winter.
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