How many games will Andy Robertson miss after shoulder surgery?

Jurgen Klopp has confirmed that Andy Robertson will require surgery on his shoulder, meaning a protracted spell on the sidelines.

Liverpool's first-choice left back suffered the injury during Scotland's Euro 2024 qualifying defeat to Spain during the international break, after colliding with goalkeeper Unai Simon.

Robertson was pictured in a sling earlier this week, as speculation raged over the severity of the issue.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of Liverpool's clash with Everton on Saturday, Klopp indicated that Robertson would likely have to go under the knife.

The manager said: "I think the decision will go towards surgery. A little chance we can try without but all experts say surgery will be the best for the long term and that means he's out for a while. We don't know exactly how long."

How long will Andy Robertson be out for & which games will he miss?

While Klopp has refused to put a timeline on Robertson's return, the defender is now likely to be out of action for the rest of the calendar year as he recovers, while some have speculated that he could even miss up to three months.

Including Saturday's Merseyside derby at Anfield, Liverpool currently have 17 more games scheduled to play before the end of 2023. However, that total will increase if they beat Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup last 16 clash on 1 November.

If Robertson is, indeed, out for three months, he could miss upwards of 20 games, depending on Liverpool's progression in the domestic cups – a potentially huge blow to Liverpool's season.

This is, however, entirely speculative at this point, it should be noted, and the timeframe for Robertson's injury recovery will only become clearer in the coming days once he has undergone surgery and more updates are provided.

Who will play instead of Andy Robertson for Liverpool?

Kostas Tsimikas is the favourite to start the Merseyside derby at left back in Robertson's stead this weekend.

However, Klopp has suggested that Joe Gomez, Luke Chambers and even other players could be in line for game time in the coming weeks, as the fixtures pile up.

READ MORE: 3 ways Liverpool could line up without Andy Robertson

While 27-year-old Tsimikas is a natural fit at left back, and an experienced, international standard player, there are question marks about his defensive capabilities.

The former Olympiacos man may not be a natural fit for the Reds' tweaked defensive system that sees them revert to a back three at times.

Anfield Watch writer Danny Corcoran has made the case for centre back Jarell Quansah to be tested out on the left side in Robertson's absence, while 18-year-old academy star Calum Scanlon could also be in line for minutes in the Europa League and domestic cups.

There is, of course, also the option that Liverpool could dip into the transfer market in January to strengthen their defence.