'It's Been a Hard Pre-Season': Liverpool Manager Jurgen Klopp Admits Star Signing Is 'Struggling'

While Xherdan Shaqiri kicked off his Liverpool career with an outrageous overhead kick and Naby Keita has started well in the Reds midfield, another new signing has not adjusted to life at Liverpool so easily.

Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, Jurgen Klopp confirmed that Brazilian midfielder Fabinho is yet to settle in at Liverpool. 

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Klopp stated: ''Fabinho, much better in offensive pressing, but still struggling a bit as not fresh enough. It's been a hard pre-season for him.''

Fabinho has been in and out of Liverpool pre-season, and has been overshadowed by many of the other new signings. Brought in as a replacement to Emre Can - who departed for Juventus earlier in the summer - Fabinho is still yet to feel comfortable at Liverpool, possibly unnerved by his £40.5m price tag.

Klopp has put Fabinho's inability to feel comfortable at Liverpool down to a lack of fitness, unable to keep up with Liverpool's fast paced, pressing style. However, Fabinho was not picked in Brazil's 23-man squad for the World Cup, so there is no reason why Fabinho shouldn't be in peak physical condition.

Fabinho's lack of form gives Klopp a bit of a selection headache for Liverpool's Premier League opener against West Ham. Due to his lack of form, Klopp may have to call on the experience of James Milner, or to play Jordan Henderson in a deeper role.