Andy Robertson delivers Jurgen Klopp another setback by leaving in Scotland’s 1-0 home loss to Northern Ireland. Liverpool injury news and return schedules.
Last night, during Scotland’s friendly loss to Northern Ireland, left-back Andy Robertson was pulled off, dealing another blow to Liverpool’s injury list.
The defender made his country’s second straight start after Friday’s 4-0 loss to the Netherlands. Robertson was substituted out of the game at Hampden Park in the first half following a rough tackle by Trai Hume.
The latest internationals saw Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo feature for Colombia and the Netherlands respectively while Ibrahima Konate played for 90 minutes for France on last night, despite all leaving Merseyside with fitness concerns.
Here the ECHO analyses the fitness of 10 players Liverpool boss Klopp will be sweating on ahead of the visit of Brighton to Anfield.
Andrew Robertson
After just 37 minutes, Andy Robertson was substituted off, ending his 63rd appearance for Scotland in the international arena. Conor Bradley, Robertson’s Liverpool teammate, scored his first goal for Northern Ireland, resulting in a 1-0 loss for Steve Clarke’s struggling team.
The defender, who suffered a shoulder injury while playing for Scotland in October and missed a significant portion of the season, gripped his ankle before leaving the field with a forlorn appearance.
Clarke, the manager of Scotland, stated: “He’s just come off the pitch, let the injury take it’s course, he’ll go back to his club, they will assess it and hopefully it’s not too serious.”
Potential return date: Unknown
Darwin Nunez
Prior to the international break, Darwin Nunez had made four appearances for Red, tallying two assists and four goals. He was maybe in the best form of his career. He was called up to Uruguay again by Marcelo Bielsa’s team as a result. That had to be rejected, though, because the striker might have hurt his hamstring against Manchester United.
Additionally, he had been temporarily ruled out in February, but Klopp and his medical team are still optimistic that the problem is not catastrophic. Whether Nunez will be ready for Brighton’s visit is yet unknown.
Potential return date: Brighton (H) – March 31.
Curtis Jones
Another player who was becoming one of the first names on Klopp’s team sheet week-in, week-out, Curtis Jones unexpectedly suffered an unfortunate fall on his ankle against Brentford in mid-February and has been out of action since.
Fortunately, though, it appears that his development coincided well with the Premier League’s return this week, with his management optimistic about his participation in some form against the Seagulls. This will depend on how well he does throughout the recess.
Potential return date: Brighton (H) – March 31.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
The creativeness of Trent Alexander Arnold has been greatly missed, but Liverpool has managed admirably without the full-back since Bradley’s ascent. The vice captain is getting close to recovering from the knee injury that has kept him out of action for most of 2024, but he still has some work to do. Klopp said he did not think Alexander-Arnold would return until the second week following the break, which coincides with the team’s Sunday, April 7 away league match against Manchester United.
Potential return date: Manchester United (A) – April 7.
Diogo Jota
Diogo Jota also suffered a setback against Brentford, appearing worse following a strike from an opponent. After it was discovered that the issue was a knee injury, Liverpool had been hoping for the return of their natural finisher.
Similar to Alexander-Arnold, Jota’s return was only partially disclosed in early April. It implies that the first few games should be too early, even though United is still a possibility.
Potential return date: Manchester United (A) – April 7.
Alisson Becker
Since February, Liverpool’s first choice goalkeeper has been out by a hamstring injury; nevertheless, Caoimhin Kelleher has filled in admirably.
Alisson Becker’s precise return date has not been disclosed, but considering his significance to the squad, it seems that there is no hurry. Once domestic action resumes in full force, look forward to an update from Klopp.
Potential return date: Unknown.
Stefan Bajcetic
Considering how spectacular his debut season in England was, Stefan Bajcetic’s absence has been regrettable. Over the season, the 19-year-old has been dealing with a number of setbacks, but he is intriguingly getting closer to making a recovery.
The defensive midfielder has been preparing for matches, as evidenced by his larger physique and stronger legs when he was photographed at the AXA Training Centre this week. Essentially, he is doing his own pre-season prior to being granted permission to resume full-team training alongside Klopp and the club.
Potential return date: April.
Thiago Alcantara
With his contract about to expire in a few months, Thiago Alcantara’s five-minute cameo in February’s loss to Arsenal might be the last time fans see him during what seems to be his final season on Merseyside.
Though it’s unclear for sure yet, he has a short window of time to recover from his most recent hamstring issue before the season ends.
Potential return date: Unknown.
Joel Matip
Joel Matip had an ACL injury against Fulham in December, which he has been rehabilitating from. Similar like Thiago, the central defender’s contract is set to expire at the end of the current campaign.
While working at the AXA Training Center, Mohamed Salah took a picture of him for a social media post.
Potential return date: Unknown.
Ben Doak
The young Scotsman had high expectations for the 2023–24 season, but those were dashed by a knee injury he sustained while participating for the Reds’ Under-21 squad in December.
As his specific problem is thought to necessitate a protracted period of recuperation, Ben Doak’s comeback date is still unknown.
