Liverpool suffered another injury blow last night as left-back Andy Robertson was forced off in Scotland’s friendly defeat to Northern Ireland.
The defender started for the second game in a row for his nation following Friday’s 4-0 loss to the Netherlands. Robertson was forced off in the first half at Hampden Park after being on the receiving end of a rough tackle from Trai Hume.
Jurgen Klopp will be hoping that the 30-year-old’s problem isn’t too bad ahead of the return of Premier League action. The Reds will host Brighton on Sunday, March 31, though for now the squad is spread across the globe competing for their countries.
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
Andy Robertson’s 63rd international appearance for Scotland ended early as he was forced off after 37 minutes. Steve Clarke’s struggling side lost 1-0 after Robertson’s Liverpool team-mate Conor Bradley scored his first goal for Northern Ireland.
The defender, who missed a large part of the season due to a shoulder injury sustained playing for Scotland in October, held his ankle before looking dejected walking off the pitch.
Scotland boss Clarke said: “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
Darwin Nunez was arguably in his finest form in Red heading into the international break, scoring four goals and providing two assists in four appearances. It earned him another call-up for Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay squad. However, that had to be turned down as the striker suffered a potential hamstring injury against Manchester United.
He had also been ruled out briefly in February, though Klopp and his medical staff remain hopeful that the issue is not a serious one. It is yet to be known whether Nunez will be fit in time for the visit of Brighton.
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 awkward landing on his ankle against Brentford in mid-February and has been out of action since.
Thankfully, though, his progress looks to have been timed perfectly for the return of the Premier League this week with his manager hopeful of his involvement in some capacity against the Seagulls. This will hinge on his progress during the break.
Potential return date: Brighton (H) – March 31.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
A big miss has been the creativity of Trent-Alexander Arnold, though with the rise of Bradley, Liverpool have coped well in the full-back’s absence.
The vice-captain nears a return from the knee injury that has kept him sidelined for the majority of 2024 so far, but still has some work to do. Klopp stated that he did not expect Alexander-Arnold back until the second week after the break, which matches up with the away league visit to Manchester United on Sunday, April 7.
Potential return date: Manchester United (A) – April 7.
Diogo Jota
Also taking a blow against Brentford, Diogo Jota came off worse after being landed on by an opponent. The problem was later revealed to be a knee injury and Liverpool have been hopeful of their instinctive finisher’s return ever since.
Like Alexander-Arnold, early April was as much detail as was revealed about Jota’s return. It means the first couple of fixtures should be too early, though United remains a possibility.
Potential return date: Manchester United (A) – April 7.
Alisson Becker
A hamstring issue has prevented Liverpool’s No.1 from standing between the sticks for some big matches since February, however Caoimhin Kelleher has stepped up in his absence.
All has been quiet about an exact return date for Alisson Becker though there evidently is no rush given his importance to the team. Expect an update from Klopp once domestic action is back in full flow.
Potential return date: Unknown.
Stefan Bajcetic
Stefan Bajcetic has been an unfortunate absence given his exciting maiden campaign in England. The 19-year-old has been nursing various setbacks over the course of the season but is excitingly closing in on a comeback.
The defensive midfielder has been building up to match fitness, being pictured at the AXA Training Centre this week with a much bigger frame and enhanced leg muscles. He is effectively going through his own pre-season before being allowed to rejoin full-team training with Klopp and the squad.
Potential return date: April.
Thiago Alcantara
That five-minute cameo in February’s defeat to Arsenal may be the only sight of Thiago Alcantara in what is appearing to be his final campaign on Merseyside, given the 32-year-old’s contract will expire in a matter of months.
It is not confirmed yet if that will be the case, though he faces a race against time to overcome his latest hamstring problem before the end of the season.
Potential return date: Unknown.
Joel Matip
Joel Matip has been recovering from an ACL injury sustained against Fulham in December. The central defender is in the same boat as Thiago, with his contract also on course to expire at the end of the season.
He was snapped in a social media post by Mohamed Salah putting in work at the AXA Training Centre.
Potential return date: Unknown.
Ben Doak
The 2023/24 campaign looked to be a big one for the young Scotsman, however a knee injury suffered playing for the Reds’ Under-21s in December curtailed that.
His particular issue is believed to require a lengthy spell of recovery, therefore there remains no clear timeframe for Ben Doak’s return.
Potential return date: Unknown
