Liverpool could be without a key defensive and creative presence as they begin the defence of their Champions League title against Napoli tonight.
The club’s official website liverpoolfc.com reported that left-back Andrew Robertson will face an assessment on his fitness ahead of the match in Italy.
According to liverpoolfc.com, the 25-year-old did not train at Melwood yesterday morning as a precaution after incurring a slight knock.
The report on liverpoolfc.com added that the Scotland international will be checked by the club’s medical team in Italy in the hours before kick-off.
Robertson has been a beacon of consistency at left-back for Liverpool since the start of last season, having started 41 of their last 43 Premier League games and not missed one since the 3-1 win at Burnley last December. [via TransferMarkt.co.uk]
He played in all but one of the Reds’ matches en route to Champions League glory in 2018/19, missing only the quarter-final first leg against Porto due to suspension. [via TransferMarkt.co.uk]
The 25-year-old has been an immense presence in Jurgen Klopp’s team over the last couple of years, being named in the PFA Team of the Year last season and hailed as the world’s best left-back by Phil Neville.
He was a consistent creative threat for Liverpool along the left flank last season, with 13 assists in all competitions, while his assists tally of 11 in the Premier League was bettered by only four players.
Following the departure of Alberto Moreno in June, Klopp was left with no natural backup for Robertson in the first team squad, and the lack of a left-back signing in the summer means that is still the case.
If the Scotland defender isn’t fit to feature tonight, either Joe Gomez or James Milner could be asked to fill in at left-back.
Gomez has played at left-back just seven times in his Liverpool career, with all but one of those coming in the 2015/16 season, and that list includes heavy defeats against West Ham and Manchester United in which the Reds conceded three goals. [via TransferMarkt.co.uk]
Milner has deputised at left-back on 41 occasions for Liverpool, most recently for Robertson in the aforementioned match against Porto last season. However, since playing there 37 times in 2016/17, he has featured at left-back just three times in the last two seasons. [via TransferMarkt.co.uk]
Whoever plays at left-back for Liverpool tonight is likely to face a dangerous right winger in Jose Callejon, who from that position has scored once and set up two goals for Napoli this season, while also averaging three key passes and 2.3 crosses per game [via WhoScored].
Even though Milner has plenty of experience in a left-back role, the lack of natural left-back cover for Robertson is an issue that Klopp should have addressed over the summer, especially as Moreno departed the club just days after the Champions League final.
After all, it was Callejon who put in the cross from the right for Napoli’s winning goal on Liverpool’s last visit to the Stadio San Paolo nearly a year ago.
Liverpool fans, how big a loss would Robertson be if he misses out tonight? Let us know your thoughts by commenting below!
