Liverpool have been dealt a major blow with the news that Andy Robertson requires surgery on a shoulder injury sustained on Scotland duty, ruling him out for around three months.
The left-back suffered the problem in a collision with Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon during Scotland’s 2-0 defeat vs Spain last week. Robertson returned to Liverpool this week for assessment by a specialist, who determined an operation is necessary according to the Guardian.
The 29-year-old is now expected to be sidelined until the beginning of 2024 as he recovers from the procedure.
Robertson has been ever-present for Liverpool this season, playing every minute in the Premier League so far. But confirming the defender’s impending absence, manager Jurgen Klopp said surgery appears the best long-term option.
‘I think the decision is we go towards surgery. There is a little chance we could try without but talking to pretty much all experts it looks like surgery will be the best thing, especially in the long term definitely, and that means he is out for a while,’
The German admitted that shoulder operations make determining an exact timeframe difficult at this stage.
‘I don’t know exactly how long but it is shoulder surgery so not exactly an easy one. In my experience you can train pretty quickly again but not football-specific because you have to be careful of challenges and all these kind of things.’
Losing Robertson for up to three months is a major setback for Liverpool as they deal with a packed schedule. The Scotland captain has been an almost ever-present figure under Klopp, racking up over 270 appearances.
His absence will force the Reds to turn to deputy Kostas Tsimikas in the left-back role over the upcoming period. Hopefully, the Greek Scouser will step up and make himself counted.
While Robertson will be missed, Liverpool will hope surgery ensures he can return to peak fitness for the second half of the campaign. But in the short term, Klopp must find a way to cope without one of his most reliable and durable stars.
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