Liverpool midfielder Fabinho will finally make his World Cup debut today, as Brazil take on Cameroon.
The 29-year-old has so far failed to see any action across his country’s first two games in Qatar. But now, according to Gulf News, that’s all set to change.
They claim that Fabinho will be one of a number of alterations made by head coach Tite, with Brazil’s qualification to the round of 16 already secured.
Needing just a point to ensure they finish top of the group, the manager will reportedly ring the changes.
With one Liverpool player coming in, it’s claimed that one will also drop out. Having played the first two games, and kept two clean sheets, Alisson Becker is said to be gearing up for a spot on the bench this evening. Manchester City’s Ederson will reportedly fill his spot temporarily.
Fabinho ready to shake off the rust
This is excellent news for Fabinho, and perhaps even for Liverpool too. It’s now been almost three weeks since his last action – for the Reds against Southampton.
As we’ve seen many times from Liverpool’s No.3, he can begin to rust easily when out of action.
With that in mind, a watching brief at the World Cup won’t do him any good at all. Fabinho was already pretty sharply out of form this season. Although his standard improved as the break drew closer, he can still go up several gears.
Not playing won’t help that, and could mean that he’s poorly prepared for the Premier League’s restart later this month.
So, it’ll be good to see him out there. On a personal level too, it’ll be a big moment for Fabinho.
Despite his enduring quality since his £44m move to Liverpool, he is often overlooked by his national team coach. Regularly only seeing game time from the bench, he has to do his best to make an impression against Cameroon.
It won’t be an easy game, either. The Africans still have a decent chance of getting through the group, and Napoli’s Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa gave Fabinho a torrid time earlier this season.
After being written off for much of the campaign so far, it’s time for Fab to answer his critics on the world stage.
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