QPR continued their summer of squad restructuring earlier this week with the capture of Fabio Da Silva from Man United on a season-long loan deal. Having struggled to nail down a place in Sir Alex Ferguson’s first-team, the 22-year-old has moved to Loftus Road and seems set for a regular role under Mark Hughes in the upcoming campaign:

With Taye Taiwo returning to Milan after completion of his short-term loan deal, there’s a vacancy at left-back to be filled for the R’s next term. Hughes has talked up the player’s adaptability but, depending on the club’s future dealings before the end of August, it seems more than likely Fabio will become an integral part of the back-four for the 2012/13 campaign, with his new manager revealing:

First and foremost, he’s a good defender. We can give him the games he’s craving at this stage of his career, so it benefits everybody. He’s very versatile – he can play left or right-back and he’s also been utilised in midfield by Sir Alex (Ferguson) in the past, so we know what we’re getting, and that’s a very good player….we believe he has all the attributes to be a success here next season.

The Statistics

Along with his twin brother Rafael, Fabio began his youth career at Fluminese in the 2005-06 campaign. Initially joining the club as a defensive midfielder, he was converted to left-back and was spotted by the Man United scouting system early on in his career at the Brazilian club. After three seasons in the youth set-up, the pair were snapped up by United in February 2007 and moved to Old Trafford the following January without making a single first-team appearance.

Over his four campaigns in the Premier League, it’s fair to say Fabio has failed to make the expected impact. Every season, Ferguson has utilised him more in cup games and Europe, with only 21 of his 53 appearances coming in the league – Rafael, in comparison, has played 52 times in the top-flight and a total of 90 times. Back in April, the United boss acknowledged the need for Fabio to gain experience elsewhere and he’s been true to his word, turning to his former player Hughes in a bid to boost the player’s game time.

The Prospects

Judging by Hughes’ comments above, the player hasn’t just moved away from United to end up warming another bench. Clearly, Fabio is under the impression he is set to feature regularly – this factor was the overwhelming reason both he and Ferguson have agreed to the loan, according to the 22-year-old:

This loan is so important for me in terms of my career. I want to play as many games as possible here. I want to play well and win games as well. Sir Alex Ferguson said that I’d enjoy it here and told me to play as many games as I can. It’s a good move for my career and for my confidence.

Fabio is likely to come in at 4.5 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) and will be classified as a defender, though Hughes’ remarks concerning his versatility are intriguing – if in the unlikely event that he is fielded further forward, the loanee would certainly rise in our Fantasy thinking as a potential out-of-position prospect.

QPR Under Mark Hughes

CS = Cleansheets

A look at QPR’s performances since Hughes took over from Neil Warnock highlights the potential of perhaps picking up one of their backline as part of a rotation pairing. The R’s were unbeaten in their last six at Loftus Road, with their home form paramount to their survival – with clean sheets in each of the last three games in front of their own fans, Hughes’ approach seemed to pick up as his time at the helm progressed. If Fabio’s foraging runs from deep prove instrumental to QPR’s attacking potential, he could well offer the best route into Hughes’ backline for those willing to take a punt for home games.

Analysing the fixture ticker, Hughes’s side certainly have two strong fixtures in their first three at Loftus Road (SWA, CHE, WHM), affording Fabio the platform to demonstrate his potential early on and perhaps finally stake a case as a bona fide Fantasy asset for the season ahead.