Liverpool star Fabinho OUT of FA Cup final against Chelsea with muscular injury in huge blow to Quadruple hopes
LIVERPOOL midfielder Fabinho is OUT of the FA Cup final on Saturday, Jurgen Klopp has confirmed.
The Brazilian was forced off in the first half of the Reds' game against Aston Villa on Tuesday.
Klopp confirmed his number one midfield anchor would miss this weekend's fixture due to a muscular injury but could still make a return before the season concludes.
He told Liverpool's official site: "There's a good chance that he will be back whenever – not for the weekend but whenever."
It is a massive blow to Liverpool's hopes of landing their first FA Cup since 2006 and pressing on with their dream of an unprecedented Quadruple.
Fabinho has appeared 47 times for Liverpool this season, including three times in the FA Cup where he has also scored two goals.
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The injury to the 28-year-old likely means one of Jordan Henderson or James Milner will fill in at the base of Liverpool's tireless midfield three.
An additional impact of this injury is the role of Thiago. The Spaniard plays his best football alongside Fabinho, so another dimension of Liverpool's play could be blunted.
Liverpool have just four games left this season, with all four of them crucial in ensuring the season plays out the way they want it to.
In even more bad news for Liverpool, Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic is winning his battle to be fit for the final following the injury he sustained from a brutal tackle from Dan James on Wednesday.
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Liverpool will be hoping to win their first FA Cup since beating West Ham on penalties in Cardiff in one of the best finals of recent times.
Meanwhile, the Blues are looking to finally break their own FA Cup duck after losing the last two finals - to Leicester last year and Arsenal in 2020.