Liverpool ‘prayers’ come true with Jurgen Klopp’s injury update on Fabinho – RTK View

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Jurgen Klopp confirmed that Fabinho won’t play in the FA Cup final on Saturday. Liverpool fans can still feel fortunate, however.

Fabinho left the pitch early on Tuesday evening as Liverpool beat Aston Villa 2-1. He quite visibly had a hamstring injury – terrible news ahead of the FA Cup final.

The Reds have actually been remarkably fortunate with injuries this season. Virtually everyone has been fit over the second half of the season, giving Jurgen Klopp a full squad to choose from as Liverpool chased four trophies.

Now, though, they’ve suffered their first true blow. Klopp confirmed on Thursday that Fabinho will miss the FA Cup final with a hamstring problem.

It’s something everyone suspected. In fact, hamstring-injury-aficionado Michael Owen said immediately after the game that there was ‘no chance’ of the Brazilian playing in the final.

And he was right. Klopp, however, did give fans reason to celebrate despite the blow for Saturday.

“There’s a good chance that he will be back whenever – not for the weekend but whenever,” he told Liverpoolfc.com.

Fabinho out of FA Cup final

The FA Cup final is a massive game but it’s not the game this month. That would be the UEFA Champions League final and Klopp suggests that there’s a ‘good chance’ Fabinho plays in it.

That, after all, is the final game this season and if he’s back at all, he’s back for that. Liverpool fans can consider that a great stroke of fortune.

This is a hamstring injury and it could easily have ruled Fabinho out for three or four weeks. It now looks as though he might return in a little over two weeks – that’s a massive relief.

Owen had said one other thing about Fabinho’s injury on Tuesday. He claimed Liverpool would be ‘praying’ that he’s back for the Champions League final as there was every chance he wouldn’t make it. It appears those prayers were answered.

“Back in my day, we used to grade them,” he said. “Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3. If it’s a Grade 1, it’s 10 days to two weeks – so he’ll be praying it’s a Grade 1 to be back for the Champions League final.”

Liverpool will need Fabinho in Paris, certainly. He’ll be their Karim Benzema stopper as the Frenchman looks to run the game between the lines for Real Madrid. Unquestionably, the Reds need their defensive midfielder more in that game than on Saturday.

So while losing Fabinho for the final against Chelsea is a huge blow, fans can breathe a serious sigh of relief here. It could have been so much worse.