TEAM NEWS : Andy Robertson alternative gives performance Jürgen Klopp will love

TEAM NEWS : Andy Robertson alternative gives performance Jürgen Klopp will love

Amid Andy Robertson’s injury, Liverpool has been handed a boost with his replacement putting in a performance Jürgen Klopp should have enjoyed for his country.

Andy Robertson’s injury blow hasn’t come at the best of times for Liverpool. With big games to play for Jürgen Klopp’s side in the next few weeks ahead, losing someone who has been a key pillar in the starting XI is a major blow.

However, Liverpool does have alternative solutions that can potentially minimize the impact of Robertson’s absence, and one of those potential replacements for the Scotsman seems to be hitting the right kind of form at the perfect time.

That player is someone who Liverpool brought in for exactly this type of situation, and who over the years has shown he can be relied upon time and time again.

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Kostas Tsimikas may not be remembered forever at Anfield, but he will go down as a bit of a cult figure given the role he played in Liverpool’s domestic double and the way he has served as a staunchly loyal deputy to Robertson ever since arriving at the club.

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He doesn’t quite have the explosive speed of Robertson, nor does he possess the physicality of the Scotsman. But what Tsimikas does have is a voracious appetite and tenacity to put himself about on the pitch combined with an excellent technical ability to deliver pinpoint crosses into the box.

Up until this point of the season, Tsimikas has only played four minutes of Premier League football, but he has been ever-present in the Europa League and the League Cup for the Reds. Now, though, it’s to be expected that he will cover for Robertson should he be set for a period of absence, and should be given the nod to start against Everton next weekend.

In preparation for that crucial derby game at Anfield, Tsimikas seems to have hit form at the perfect time for Klopp, producing a Man of the Match display for Greece against the Republic of Ireland in a must-win game for his country. Tsimikas registered an assist to help secure the victory for Greece, but it was not just his decisive cross that made his performance impressive.

Liverpool Kostas Tsimikas Greece

Liverpool’s Kostas Tsimikas has been impressive for Greece. (Image: PAUL FAITH/AFP via Getty Images)

There was a lot else to like about the way he put himself about on the pitch, with Tsimikas producing the kind of energetic performance that his Liverpool boss Klopp will have absolutely loved.

As well as getting an assist, Tsimikas completed the most dribbles (four) in the game and he also won the most duels (eight) while making five recoveries and two interceptions. Overall, he managed to dominate the left flank constantly bombing up and down the wing in the kind of performance that he has often times delivered at his very best in a Liverpool shirt.

Greece will play the Netherlands on Monday in a game where he could go up against Virgil van Dijk before he and the Liverpool captain are expected to return to the AXA Training Centre.

Klopp will hope Tsimikas avoids injury in that match as well and puts in another solid performance in preparation for the big game in a week’s time at Anfield. So far the signs are encouraging, and if Tsimikas plays like he did against the Republic of Ireland, Liverpool should be able to overcome Robertson’s absence in the next few weeks if the severity of the Scotsman’s injury demands that.