Fab is all RIGHT to take on wide role
I just want to be out there on the pitch and if that means playing out on the right then so be it. I want to be involved.
Fabio Tavares
FABIO Tavares sees himself ‘first and foremost’ as a striker, but the Sky Blues star insists he just wants to play after his return from a serious injury.
The 23-year-old ruptured his Achilles tendon against Wrexham in the third round of the FA Cup in January 2023.
He made his comeback 12 months later in the third round of the competition when he went on for the last 20-odd minutes in the Sky 6-2 victory over United.
He’s made eight appearances including two starts since then, scoring three goals and catching the eye from the bench in his last two showings as he battles to establish himself as a regular contributor in the side.
Tatsuhiro Sakamoto’s untimely back injury has provided a huge opportunity for Tavares to squeeze himself into the team between now and the end of the season. But how does he feel playing out wide rather than down the middle?
“All through my younger days I played as a striker or on the left,” said the player, who has a year left on his current contract with no option. “Since being at Cov I have been on the right more, which is something different but I welcome it. It’s just a case of getting used to it. I have spoken to the gaffer and Adi about it and done things in training to help make that transition a bit easier because it’s not as easy as some people might think it is. But I do see myself as a striker, first and foremost, and if not then out wide on the left or the right. Whichever it is, I can definitely do a job there and hopefully bring something different to the team.”
He added: “I just want to be out there on the pitch and if that means playing out on the right then so be it. I want to be involved in goals and big games, like against Man United, and the more I am out there the more I get the chance to show that I can fill in for Tats.”
Stepping out at Wembley for the semi-final this weekend against United in the competition that took him out for a year would certainly be some turnaround for the young forward.