New season, same old injury problems. That’s the fear among Liverpool fans at present following the news of an ankle injury to influential left-back Andy Robertson. The Scottish international sustained the blow during a pre-season friendly with Athletic Bilbao, much to the frustration of Reds boss Jurgen Klopp. With Robertson out for at least a few weeks, all eyes will be on the player expected to deputise: Kostas Tsimikas.
Tsimikas arrived last season as the first recruit after Liverpool lifted their first Premier League trophy. However, he struggled to stamp his authority on the team last term. An injury to Robertson could be bittersweet for Tsimikas, who has been one of the Reds’ form players during pre-season so far.
With just a single addition to the Liverpool squad during the summer in the shape of Ibrahima Konate, it’s no surprise to see Liverpool priced at 5/1 in the English Premier League odds to win the league, behind the current Premier League champions Manchester City (4/6) and last season’s Champions League winners Chelsea (9/2).
Going under the radar suits Liverpool
The Reds will be expected to challenge for the title this season, but not having the title of ‘champions’ may suit the Reds as Manchester City are the team to beat. If other teams are slightly less fearful of Liverpool, then we could see fewer teams sitting back, opening up space for the pacey Mo Salah who is already being talked up in the latest English Premier League betting tips as the second favourite to be this year’s top scorer after bagging 22 times in an indifferent year for the Reds last term. The Egyptian goalscoring sensation will be hoping the Reds make a fast start so they are in a strong position when Robertson returns.
The role of Tsimikas
Following a disjointed 2020/21 campaign, which involved injuries and illness of his own, Kostas Tsimikas has demonstrated just why Klopp put his faith in signing him in 2020. He has been a bundle of energy up and down that left flank, showing intelligence to link play infield and knowing when to go on the outside and whip crosses into the box. Tsimikas was singled out for praise by Klopp during a 45-minute cameo appearance in a friendly against Bologna, describing him as “really, really good”.
Tsimikas’ attacking output will be equally as important as his defensive duties. The way Liverpool play requires the full-back to provide service from the wide positions, with Trent Alexander-Arnold proving a valuable source of service for Liverpool’s forwards. There will be some pressure on Tsimikas to deliver, due to the reliance on crosses into the box, but if he can put quality balls into the box, he can expect one of Salah, Sadio Mane or Roberto Firmino to pounce on the chances.
It is fair to say that Andy Robertson has been one of Liverpool’s most used and overworked players in the last two seasons. Although that won’t disappoint most Reds fans, who see him as integral to Klopp’s 4-3-3 system. There is a sense that Robertson’s body may just be telling the Liverpool sports science department that he could do with a rest now and again. Not only has Robertson been at full pelt with Liverpool, but he has also been involved in the EURO 2020 finals this summer with Scotland. With precious little downtime between the Euros and the start of the 2021/22 EPL season, it was perhaps no surprise to see a key player pick up such an injury.
Tsimikas featured just seven times in 2020-21 for Liverpool, but there is every chance the Greek international will play much more in the 2021-22 campaign. The 25-year-old signed at Anfield in the knowledge that he would be a squad player and effective backup for Andy Robertson. But now, knowing that he will get a consistent run in the Premier League will be an intriguing initial test of Tsimikas’ character. He will want to perform well, not only so the team can get positive results, but so Klopp has a selection headache when Roberton returns from injury.
It appears the time has come for Kostas to prove his worth.