Andy Robertson has returned to training and will travel with Liverpool to tomorrow night’s EFL Cup semi-final, second leg at Fulham.
The Scotland international has been out since October with a shoulder injury but could be included in the squad at Craven Cottage as the Merseysiders attempt to secure a place at Wembley having won the first leg 2-1 at Anfield.
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Jurgen Klopp’s assistant Pep Lijnders said: “Robbo trained yesterday with the team. It’s now 13 weeks. He had his meeting with the surgeon to make sure that everything is right to go into full contact – it’s clear. So he did a lot of work and really good rehab throughout the last period, so he’s fit in terms of sports science. Now he has to get fit with proper team training.
“So that’s a big, big advantage to have him back. We were waiting for a long time – he’s one of our captains. I just met him in the canteen and he said, ‘Pep, I have my tracksuit with me!’ So he’s pushing himself into the squad, so that’s good. He will travel [to Fulham].”
Robertson’s absence coincided with an injury to reserve left back Kostas Tsimikas, with Joe Gomez filling in in an unfamiliar position.
Lijnders added: “Speaking about Robbo, I have to speak about Joe [Gomez] because he used this opportunity. This guy, what he’s doing this season and the levels he’s reaching when he plays on the right and then he changes and plays in the centre…Then he plays on the left and he’s ready on the left on the outside but then he has to play inside from the left as well.
“He’s a really good example of what we are all about. One player or even two players leave and then you have a lot of players who can play in different positions and that makes our squad so, so strong. He deserves the biggest compliment because he’s probably one of the most consistent players in our team.”
Pep Lijnders has provided injury updates on Andy Robertson, Curtis Jones, Dominik Szoboszlai, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kostas Tsimikas:
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 23, 2024
Curtis Jones is also fit despite coming off late in Sunday’s 4-0 win at Bournemouth.
Lijnders added: “When you play more games and when you are constantly in the team since a long, long time, you get also some small niggles.
“He already reported during the week some tension in his hamstring tendon. But yesterday [there were] no issues, so he was clear. And during the game it was more precautionary [because] we go 3-0 up and the guy, even if he’s young, he acts like a senior, so he made the right decision.”
