Fabinho joined Liverpool in the summer but manager Jurgen Klopp is taking his time with the Brazilian.
A lot of excitement greeted Liverpool’s capture of Fabinho in the summer as he completed a shock move from AS Monaco.
There had been little to no talk of a potential move before it happened but it certainly seemed to make a lot of sense; alongside the signing of Naby Keita from RB Leipzig, Liverpool appeared to have greatly improved their midfield options.
Fast forward to now, however, and Fabinho has barely featured under Jurgen Klopp, finding himself limited to one start in the League Cup against Chelsea and a couple of substitute appearances in the Champions League.
The player says he understands why he’s been left out, though, and believes that the process of adapting to Klopp’s ways has been good.
“My process to adapt to English football has been very good,” Fabinho told Liverpoolfc.com.
“Since pre-season I believe I have understood the way Jürgen Klopp plays and the way the team plays.
“It’s a new experience for me because Klopp has a different style of work from the way I’m used to – but this is something I will learn.
“I have learned a few things from him but it is just the start. He is a coach who demands a lot from his players, not only in matches but also on a daily basis in training.”
It’s a method that Klopp used with Andy Roberton and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain a year ago as neither featured regularly until at least November.
But both excelled over the latter half of the season and the hope is certainly that Fabinho can have the same sort of impact.
It can’t be easy for a player who was playing regularly and starring over the last few years to suddenly find himself firmly on the fringes, but Fabinho’s attitude appears to be exactly what Klopp would hope for.
If the German works his magic again, we can expect to see Fabinho’s best before long.
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