It was always a matter of when and not if injuries would catch up with Andrew Robertson.
The Liverpool full-back was put to work by Jurgen Klopp following his move from Hull in 2017.
He wasn’t thrust into the first-team from the get-go but as soon as he displaced Alberto Moreno, the left-back spot at Anfield was his and his alone.
The Scotland captain has racked up over 18,500 minutes in the English top-flight for the Reds. He’s been involved in 2,500 minutes or more in five of his seven seasons with the club and appeared in over 3,100 minutes on three occasions.
In fact, the only time he’s failed to break the 2,500-minute barrier was during his debut season (2017/18) and his injury-plagued 2023/24 campaign.
He was a mainstay in Klopp’s all-conquering team for five successive seasons.
Robertson was destined to have injury struggles towards the back end of his career. You can’t play that much football at such an intensity without consequences.
If anything, we’re already witnessing the consequences.
A knee injury ruled him out for seven games during the 2022/23 campaign. He missed a total of 26 games last season. Despite reporting back for pre-season duty early on, the 30-year-old is yet to feature for the Reds.
New manager Arne Slot revealed the left-back wasn’t fully fit having played at Euro 2024 with an injury.
Speaking at a news conference in Pittsburgh, Slot said: "He is not fully fit yet. But we are expecting him in the end of the tour – maybe just after the tour – to be fully fit again. "He took a small injury into the Euros and afterwards he had to recover from that after playing those games. But we will expect him back after our tour – but he joined us over here."
It is hardly the best preparation for a new season, is it? Will he be up to speed for the opener against Ipswich? If he’s having to come into the XI at a later date, how does that impact the player and the dynamics of the team?
The Liverpool No26 is into the final two years of his deal with the club and an extension is unlikely unless he’s prepared to accept a lesser role within the squad. So the Reds find themselves in a strange situation of potentially relying on the fitness of someone who isn’t going to be here in the long-term.
Andy Robertson is excited for a new era at the Reds following the arrival of head coach Arne Slot 🔴
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) June 4, 2024
While the 2019/20 Premier League champions have other immediate matters to address, such as signing a new No6, perhaps a new left-back should also be a priority.
Someone to ease the burden on Robertson before eventually replacing the one-time Celtic academy player. It won’t make or break the campaign but it solves a potential problem.
The Reds already have a lot to do next summer with Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah all out of contract - adding this to that list makes the 2025 transfer window even more complicated.
While Joe Gomez and Kostas Tsimkas are viable replacements in the short-term, Liverpool, ideally, need to be looking at the long-term project under Slot and finding someone to fill the left-back spot for this new cycle.
With that in mind, a look at three possibilities for the Reds if they want to bring in a traditional full-back.
The wildcard pick
Julio Soler was linked over the weekend. This is a wildcard shout given he’s a 19-year-old playing for Lanus.
Liverpool rarely go straight to the source and prefer any South American talents to have some experience in Europe before they bring them to Anfield.
However, for every rule, there is an exception. So why wouldn’t Soler be just that?
He caught the eye at the Olympics for Javier Mascherano’s side and though he’s extremely raw, there’s a lot to like about him.
He’s a ball-carrier and a space-creator. He’s quick, dogged and a bit of a scrambler in possession. There are elements of both Robertson and Conor Bradley in his game.
He wouldn’t break the bank, believed to be available for £11million, and it could make him a gamble worth taking.
Over the next year or so, he can learn from Robertson, and potentially even Tsimikas, before stepping in to replace the pair, one way or another.
If European experience is key...
Slot might want to raid his former side to fill a key area within the team.
Quilindschy Hartman was integral to the way the Dutch tactician has his team playing during his time at De Kuip.
He was heavily involved in play, averaging over 70 passes per 90 last season, while his ball-carrying ability was a weapon Feyenoord made the most of.
He could beat opponents on the inside or on the outside and this is one of the reasons why he was so influential, racking up an expected assists (xA) per 90 average of 0.24 last season.
For context, Robertson’s xA per 90 average for Liverpool in the Premier League is 0.21.
Hartman has been linked with a move away from Feyenoord but he’s currently ruled out until the New Year with a knee injury. It might be one to watch though as the 22-year-old is highly in-demand.
The Premier League target?
Finally, Rayan Ait-Nouri could be an option for the Reds.
Linked earlier in the summer, a move hasn’t yet materialised for the Wolves full-back, but that could well change before the transfer window shuts. After all, Richard Hughes, Liverpool’s newest Sporting Director did say it might be a busy August.
Ait-Nouri ticks a couple of important boxes for Liverpool when it comes to recruitment.
The 23-year-old has Premier League experience, the 2024/25 campaign will be his fifth year in the English top-flight.
He’s a progressive ball-carrier and he’s happy to invert when in possession, something Slot clearly likes from his full-backs.
The former Angers youngster is tidy in possession and dogged without the ball.
He’s at the right age for a big move and a team like Liverpool could be the perfect environment for him to truly flourish into the player he has the potential to be.
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