Liverpool star ruled out of FA Cup final against Chelsea due to injury
Liverpool midfielder Fabinho has been ruled out of their FA Cup final against Chelsea on Saturday (May 14). He also faces a race against time to be fit for their Champions League final showdown with Real Madrid on May 28.
The Brazilian injured his hamstring during their 2-1 win over Aston Villa in the Premier League on Tuesday, limping off barely half an hour into the clash.
Jurgen Klopp later revealed Fabinho was quite positive about recovering in time. However, his diagnosis now deals the Liverpool boss a huge blow, with the 28-year-old also set to miss their remaining league matches.
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Fabinho in race to be fit for #UCL final. [Paul Joyce] thetimes.co.uk/article/liverp…
He was also included in the Brazil national team's camp for next month's trio of friendlies against South Korea, Japan and Argentina. Selecao physio Fábio Mahseredjian is hopeful that the midfielder will be available for the Real Madrid clash.
He said (as per Goal):
“We don’t have all the information yet, but we are optimistic that he will reach the Champions League final.”
Fabinho has been a crucial figure in Liverpool's squad since his arrival from AS Monaco in 2018 and has enjoyed a fine campaign this season at an individual level too.
If he's indeed unable to make it to the Champions League final, it will be a huge blow to Klopp, who will probably field Jordan Henderson in his place.
Should Fabinho get fit and train even a few days before the clash, he'd have a big chance of starting at the Stade de France on May 28.
More developments are expected in the coming days.
Liverpool aiming to bag a second title of the season
With the Carabao Cup already in the bag, Liverpool will hope to seal the FA Cup too, pulling off a domestic cup double for the first time since the 2000-01 season.
Fabinho's absence means the Reds will obviously have their task cut out. Klopp still has Henderson, Thiago Alcantra and Naby Keita to call upon, having rotated among them this season.
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Chelsea, the losing finalists in February, will be out seeking revenge, although their recent form has been patchy, failing to win any of their last three games.
Having lost the FA Cup final the previous two years as well, the Blues are hoping to avoid the ignominy of becoming the first side to lose three finals in a row.