Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson has been ruled out for the remainder of 2023 after Jurgen Klopp confirmed the Scot will require surgery on his shoulder injury. The injury was sustained while leading his country against Spain last week, with the weight of goalkeeper Unai Simon landing on Robertson’s shoulder after a challenge.
This is a major blow for Klopp’s side after a positive start to the campaign, as Robertson will miss up to 18 of Liverpool’s upcoming matches across all competitions. Kostas Tsimikas will now play a prominent role for the Reds, and for the first time in his Liverpool career will be expected to start in more than three Premier League games in a row. Joe Gomez and Luke Chambers are also options as left-back, as Tsimikas “cannot play all the games.”
Andy Robertson’s Injury
Andy Robertson sustained the injury while leading his country against Spain last week, with the weight of goalkeeper Unai Simon landing on Robertson’s shoulder after a challenge. With no immediate updates on the severity, optimism for a quick return swiftly started to wane among supporters.
It has now been confirmed that Robertson will undergo surgery on his dislocated right shoulder. Klopp told reporters: “The decision we go towards is surgery. There was a little chance we could try without, but after talking to pretty much all the experts it looks like surgery will be the best for the long term. That means he will be out for a while. Don’t know exactly how long, but a shoulder surgery is not an easy one. From my experience, you can train pretty quickly again but not football-specific because you have to be careful with challenges and things. [He] will be out for a while.”
Liverpool’s Options Without Robertson
Kostas Tsimikas will now play a prominent role for the Reds, and for the first time in his Liverpool career will be expected to start in more than three Premier League games in a row – he’s previously only managed two league starts in succession. Klopp also named Joe Gomez and Luke Chambers as options as left-back, as Tsimikas “cannot play all the games.”
It is yet to be seen how Liverpool will cope without their star left-back, but they have shown they can still perform without him in the past. In 2020/21, Robertson missed 12 games due to injury and suspension, and Liverpool still managed to win 10 of those games and draw one.
Conclusion
Andy Robertson’s injury is a major blow for Liverpool, but they have shown they can still perform without him in the past. Kostas Tsimikas, Joe Gomez and Luke Chambers are all viable options at left-back, but it remains to be seen how they will cope with Robertson out for the remainder of 2023.