Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp has acknowledged that the team’s current injury crisis at left-back is causing significant problems for the club. The Reds have been without their first-choice left-back Andrew Robertson since mid-October, after he underwent surgery on a shoulder injury sustained while on international duty with Scotland. Kostas Tsimikas had been deputizing well in Robertson’s absence, but he is now also facing a spell on the sidelines after breaking his collarbone in Liverpool’s recent 0-0 draw with Arsenal.
As Liverpool prepare to face Burnley in the Premier League on Boxing Day, Klopp has conceded that the absence of any fit natural left-backs will present a major challenge for his team. “We will see. Can Joey [Gomez] play all the games coming up now until – I don’t know when – Robbo will be back?” Klopp explained. The manager emphasized the difficulty of the situation, stating, “Kosti is now definitely out for a while, so I don’t know, we have to see. I didn’t have time now to think it through, but somebody will play the position I am pretty sure. It is for us obviously really tough, it’s really tough.”
Klopp also highlighted the unfortunate nature of the injuries to Robertson and Tsimikas, noting, “You have injuries sometimes and we accept all of them, but a broken collarbone is really bad because it just takes long. Same what Robbo had: a different injury but that takes long as well, as we all know.”
He emphasized the need for luck in such situations, stating, “We all know we need luck in these moments to get through and now we will have Joey there and just have to make sure we put him in cotton wool and we have to make sure he is always ready for the games.”
With both Robertson and Tsimikas unavailable, Joe Gomez is likely to step in at full-back. Although not a natural left-back, Gomez took over from Tsimikas in the second half of the match against Arsenal and is expected to continue in that role in the coming games.
Liverpool will undoubtedly miss the presence of both Robertson and Tsimikas as they navigate through a packed fixture list. However, Klopp will be hoping for a swift recovery for both players as he looks to maintain his team’s challenge at the top of the Premier League table. As the Reds strive for success on multiple fronts, finding adequate cover for the left-back position will be crucial in the weeks ahead.
