Jurgen Klopp has acknowledged the significant challenges Liverpool faces due to the current left-back injury crisis at the club. Andrew Robertson, the first-choice left-back, has been unavailable since mid-October, undergoing shoulder surgery following an injury sustained while on international duty.
Kostas Tsimikas admirably filled in for Robertson during his absence, but he is now facing an extended period on the sidelines after suffering a broken collarbone in Liverpool’s 0-0 draw with Arsenal. Addressing the issue ahead of Liverpool’s Premier League clash with Burnley on Boxing Day, Klopp expressed the difficulty of coping with the absence of fit natural left-backs:
“We will see. Can Joey [Gomez] play all the games coming up now until – I don’t know when – Robbo will be back?” Klopp questioned.
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“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.
“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, how we all know.
“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.”
Joe Gomez replaced Tsimikas at full-back in the second half of Liverpool’s draw with Arsenal, making him the most likely – if not the natural – replacement for the injured Greek international and Andy Robertson moving forward.