Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has revealed that Fabinho is very close to being ready to start for the club in the Premier League.
Fabinho joined Liverpool from Monaco in the summer for a deal worth in the region of £39m, but is yet to make his Premier League debut.
The Brazilian international has started once, against Chelsea in the League Cup, and made two appearances in the Champions League.
Klopp has been taking his time with Fabinho, to make sure that he is ready to start games in the English top-flight.
Speaking to Liverpool’s website, Klopp said this:
[He is] close.
I didn’t see him for 10 days so that’s not the best thing to judge exactly how he is. But he is very close, he is never far away.
We spoke about it that he needs to get used to different things – that’s how it is for all the players. I had this situation so often, I can’t believe how often.
I don’t like to tell too many old stories but Ilkay Gundogan didn’t play [for] half a year [under Klopp at Borussia Dortmund]; the only difference was he was a young player from Nurnberg and nobody asked for him. He asked! He wasn’t in the squad and there were a lot of difficult moments.
You need to be ready, that’s how it is. At one point I have to make a decision if somebody is ready or not. We’ve already made the decision that he’s the right player for us. Now we have to come together.
Fabinho made over 200 appearances for Monaco in a five-year spell with the French giants. He amassed 167 Ligue 1 games, scoring 23 times from holding midfield/right-back.
Liverpool face Huddersfield in the Premier League this weekend and Naby Keita has been ruled out after picking up an injury on international duty for Guinea.
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