Fabio Carvalho explains Liverpool position and makes…

Fabio Carvalho explains Liverpool position and makes 'sick' Champions League admission

Fabio Carvalho has explained where he is having to improve his game as he targets more regular first-team action with Liverpool.

Carvalho has been limited to just five starts since arriving at Anfield in the summer from Fulham, with the remainder of his 14 outings having come from the bench.

The 20-year-old has yet to play more than 62 minutes in a Premier League match, although he has already broken his goalscoring duck in the competition by scoring as substitute against Bournemouth in August before his dramatic late winner at home to Newcastle United a few days later.

With Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota both sidelined through injury, Carvalho has been competing with Curtis Jones for a starting role on the left flank and began the recent games against West Ham United and Nottingham Forest. But the youngster admits he is still coming to terms with the unique demands of playing under Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool.

"I've probably been working most with the manager and the coaches on the defensive side of my game because they already know what I can bring offensively," said Carvalho. "So I've been working with the manager, the coaches and the analysis guys and it's been about where to be and when I need to press because we're such a pressing team. It's just being able to recognise who to press, when to press and how to press."

Carvalho has featured on both flanks and in a central midfield role during his brief time at Liverpool. And the Portugal under-21 international is hopeful his versatility can open the door to more senior opportunities.

"I'd say my preferred position is either on the left-hand side or maybe in the middle of the park as a 10 but we don't really play with a 10 here," he said. "Probably the position change has been the biggest difference to last season because I've been playing more on the left here at Liverpool and at Fulham I was playing more centrally and obviously I had (Aleksandar) Mitrovic to play from.

"When we play a 4-4-2 and I play behind a striker - whether it's Bobby or Darwin - that will probably fit me more but we'll see what happens. That system can be fluid because we often have Bobby who is behind either Mo or Darwin, and he can come into the pocket. And you have the two wingers who also come in and so it's fluid because everyone keeps moving.

"To be honest, I just want to play. But above anything else is the team and whatever the manager decides to do, I'm sure whoever plays will do a good job and hopefully it will be me!"

Carvalho's only 90-minute appearance for Liverpool thus far came on his Champions League debut at Rangers last month, where he overcame a mistake that led to a goal for the home side with a fine display as the Reds romped to a 7-1 triumph.

The youngster has since featured from the bench in the group stage wins over Ajax and Napoli but believes the experience at Ibrox was a highlight.

"It was sick!" said Carvalho to the official Liverpool matchday programme. "Just listening to the theme song before the game starts is what you dream of, isn't it? I was singing the song in my head - I couldn't sing it out loud! But of course there was the way we won the game as well. That was the most important thing. "

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