Liverpool fans sent into meltdown as Fabinho injury adds to defensive woes

Liverpool now have one fit centre-back, with Virgil Van Dijk, Joel Matip and Fabinho all sidelined indefinitely through injury

Reuben Pinder

Liverpool fans sent into meltdown as Fabinho injury adds to defensive woes

You’re joking? Not another one…

Liverpool fans were sent into meltdown as Fabinho was forced off during the first half of their Champions League tie against FC Midtjylland through injury.

Fabinho, a holding midfielder by trade, has filled in at centre-back in the absence of Virgil Van Dijk, who tore his anterior cruciate ligament in a collision with Jordan Pickford during the Merseyside derby. Joel Matip is also sidelined at the moment.

The Brazilian has mostly looked comfortable playing in the back four alongside Joe Gomez, with a highlight of his brief stint at centre-back coming in last week’s Champions League game against Ajax, as he cleared a ball off the line with an acrobatic overhead kick.

But Liverpool’s already depleted defence just got even thinner, as Fabinho hobbled off after half an hour to be replaced by the 19-year-old Rhys Williams. Early speculation suggests it could be a hamstring injury but nothing has yet been confirmed.

Reds fans, understandably, are very worried.

RedmenTV captured the mood with a simple tweet saying: “Fabinho down injured. Fuck.”

Fabinho down. Fuck.

— The Redmen TV (@TheRedmenTV) October 27, 2020

Other fans suddenly started thinking of who might be able to play next to Gomez in defence with Van Dijk, Matip and Fabinho all out of action.

Fabinho injured.

We really have to play Firmino as a CB vs West Ham. 😭😭

— K (@LuffyLFC) October 27, 2020

Others went even more defeatist and suggested they would lose every match from now until January, which does feel like a bit of a reach. Have you seen Fulham?

Liverpool did of course sell Dejan Lovren to Zenit St Petersburg in the summer. How they could do with him now… Or not?