Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed that Manchester United will look to send Fabio out on loan next season in an effort to find him regular football.
Ferguson hoping Brazilian will tread a similar path to Evans
Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed that Manchester United will look to send Fabio out on loan next season in an effort to find him regular football.
The Brazilian full-back has figured in some high-profile fixtures during his time at Old Trafford - most notably the 2011 UEFA Champions League final - but he has struggled to hold down a place in the Red Devils' starting XI.
A series of niggling injuries have done little to help his cause, and he has been restricted to just 15 appearances in all competitions this season as a result.
Ferguson believes the 21-year-old now needs to be playing week in, week out and feels a loan spell will see the versatile youngster return to United a better player.
"Fabio will go on loan next season to give him concentrated first team experience," he told
United Review.
"I have already talked to him and he understands the value of playing more regularly at a higher level than we can give him at the moment."
It is Ferguson's hope that Fabio will develop in a manner similar to Jonny Evans, with the Northern Ireland international having benefitted greatly from loan spells at Royal Antwerp and Sunderland.
Nurturing
He has been a key figure for the Red Devils this season, providing cover for the inured Nemanja Vidic, and Ferguson considers the 24-year-old to be among the finest defenders in English football.
"I must admit my heart sank a little when I learned just how long Nemanja Vidic was going to be out," the Scot said.
"He and Rio Ferdinand had become the cornerstone of our defence but Rio responded brilliantly, despite his back problem, and has now struck up a fine partnership with Jonny Evans.
"Jonny came to us from Belfast when he was 12 or 13, always exceptionally talented but gangly with physical issues growing up.
"We had him out on loan with Antwerp and Sunderland and now we are seeing the value of nurturing him.
"There is no doubt he has been helped playing alongside the experience of Rio and he is now arguably the best defender in the country."
