Liverpool fans have been full of praise for Fabinho's performance against Ajax.
The midfielder started at centre-back for the Reds' opening Champions League tie, playing alongside Joe Gomez.
He had big boots to fill following the injury to Virgil van Dijk in Saturday's Merseyside derby, which could well keep the towering defender out for the season.
Yet the 26-year-old was in inspirational form in the first half, at one point pulling off an acrobatic clearance to hook the ball off the line after Adrian had been lobbed.
He helped keep Ajax at bay as they pushed for an equaliser in the second half and even went close to scoring himself as he ventured forward for a corner.
It prompted fans to speculate Fabinho could prove a long-term stand-in for van Dijk and gave heart the Reds will be able to cope during the Dutchman's long lay-off.
This is not the first time Fabinho has won praise for his performances in defence for the Reds.
Indeed, comments from van Dijk earlier in the season suggests the Dutchman himself is a big fan of the Brazilian's performances at the back.
Fabinho played alongside van Dijk at the back in the Reds' 2-0 win over Chelsea in September and his performance garnered plenty of praise from his teammate.
“Outstanding,” van Dijk said. “I just told him as well I think he was man of the match.
"To keep out a striker like Timo Werner and don’t let him score, overall he was outstanding.
"Everyone knows how good he is but it shows also that we need everyone.
"We are a bit unlucky with the injuries now but we’ll need everyone back because it’s such a long season."
Fabinho has also had the backing of the club's coaching staff, with Pep Ljinders also heaping praise on the player's performance against Chelsea.
"It shows his character, that he’s always ready to help the team. Now he played as a centre-half and he sacrificed himself," Lijnders said to the Liverpool website.
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"If you saw the difference between the Leeds game and Chelsea game, I think it’s also a big compliment of our last line: the way we defended with our last line, their behaviour, their braveness about defending, how they always controlled the movements of Timo Werner going in behind, how we stopped counter-attacks.
"I always say avoiding goals takes 22 feet and two gloves.
"It means that it’s not just Fabinho who stopped the counters, it’s as a whole team we have to defend and try to avoid these things to happen.
"But Fabinho was an easy choice to be man of the match, in my opinion.
"Yes of course I like, and especially Jürgen likes, that we can play players in different positions, this versatility."
