When the Reds play Arsenal in a Premier League match this weekend, former Liverpool striker Michael Owen has backed manager Jurgen Klopp to bench midfielder Fabinho.

In Owen's opinion, Fabinho has been one of Liverpool's team's "poorer players" so far this year.

The Liverpool team that defeated Rangers 2-0 in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday did not include Fabinho.

The German reverted to a new 4-2-3-1 formation which saw Thiago Alcantara and Jordan Henderson sitting in midfield.

“I think he [Klopp] will maybe think about going again (with the same formation against Arsenal),” Owen told BT Sport (via Liverpool Echo).

“Fabinho – I absolutely love the guy, he is brilliant – but he’s been one of the poorer players. But I do agree, I think it’s really brave to put four of them against an Arsenal team, who are flying at the moment, but that will give him confidence in terms of thinking for the future. "