Arne Slot could be FORCED into agonising Andy Robertson decision

Andy Robertson is one of the best left-backs in Liverpool’s history.

The Scotland captain, who joined the club in 2017, has won it all: the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, and two EFL Cups. You can even throw in a UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup for good measure as well.

Now 30, he has become a key senior member of the Liverpool squad, leading by example on the pitch and with great humour off it.

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Last year was a difficult one for Robertson, who was out for much of the season after injuring his shoulder in a EURO 2024 qualifying game against Spain for Scotland.

He missed almost four months as a result of that injury, and revealed during the summer that an ankle knock he suffered in March also caused him problems towards the end of last season.

“I was playing in pain from March onwards,” he admitted, as reported in the Mail.

Before last season, Robertson was hardly injured. He missed 27 games in 23/24, more than double the amount from all of his previous seasons at the club combined.

Last season’s injuries, combined with his age, means that Arne Slot and the rest of the coaching staff will be looking at the future and asking whether a replacement is needed sooner rather than later.

Gary Neville: Robertson is 'Not quite right'

Robertson’s game has developed into a more defensive one in recent seasons. When he first joined Liverpool he was a flying fullback under Jurgen Klopp, challenging Trent Alexander-Arnold for assists records each season.

However, in the past couple of seasons, as Trent has been given more license to drift infield, Robertson has often found himself dropping inside next to Virgil van Dijk to help form a back three when building up from the back.

This means there has been more focus on his defending, and Gary Neville spotted something during the Chelsea game that could be worrying for Reds fans.

“There’s something not quite right about Robertson in these opening 15 minutes or so,” the former Man Utd full-back said on Sky Sports during the game.

“Usually he is right in the face of his winger but he’s standing off Madueke. He’s sitting off him five or 10 yards. It’s really strange watching the Liverpool left back.”

Neville added, shortly after: “He’s struggling. I don’t know why because he’s a great defender but Madueke has got in his head.”

Robertson did struggle with Madueke in the first half, and looked like he lacked some of his usual pace in one-on-one situations as the Chelsea winger drove past him.

Robertson vs Tsimikas

While Tsimikas is the backup option, it is easy to think that Robertson's status as first-choice left-back is not under any immediate threat.

However, last season's injury concerns and Slot's tendency to rotate his full-backs means that he could soon find himself out of the starting lineup.

That's exactly what happened for Liverpool's win away to Crystal Palace before this month's international break.

Robertson had struggled against Bologna in the Champions League, getting a first-half yellow card and being substituted off for Tsimikas with 20 minutes left on the clock.

Slot then decided to drop Robertson for the Palace game, replacing him with Tsimikas in the starting line-up.

The Greek international played a key role in the only goal of the game, providing a brilliant pass in the buildup to Jota's finish.

Robertson's short-term future

While Tsimikas is not an option for a long-term Robertson replacement, the gap between the two seems to be closing, with less of a drop-off in quality than ever before.

While in one sense this is good news for Slot in that he has two viable options for every game, it's more a result of Robertson's waning powers that Tsimikas is in the conversation to start games for the Reds.

Joe Gomez deputised well last season, when both Robertson and Tsimikas were out injured, but has been linked with a move away from the club.

This season has started so well for Slot – with Robertson in the team – that he won't be too worried in the short-term, but a replacement has to be a priority for him and Sporting Director Richard Hughes.

Could Trent play at left-back?

In Helsinki, Trent lined up at left-back for England’s recent Nations League fixture against Finland – and to good effect.

No player had more touches of the ball than Alexander-Arnold (130), according to FotMob, with the Liverpool academy graduate also taking the joint-most shots (three) completing the third-most passes (95 of 110) and winning 100% of his duels.

It was a great performance in an unfamiliar position, albeit against poor opposition.

Interim England manager Lee Carsley chose to play Trent on the left due to a lack of great options, and his ability to move infield to become a playmaker; sound familiar?

It’s unlikely Slot will switch Trent to left-back, but if he is to sign a new contract, there could be situations where playing Conor Bradley on the right and Trent on the left makes sense.

Realistically, Trent's world-class ability from right-back means it would be a huge risk to switch him to left-back, which leaves Slot looking elsewhere for a Robertson replacement.

Who could replace Robertson?

There are a couple of directions that the club could go in when trying to find a long-term replacement for Andy Robertson.

One that we can rule out immediately is the promotion of Tsimikas, who was linked with a move away from Anfield during the summer. The Greek defender is a good backup option but has shown on multiple occasions that complacency can creep into his game.

Manchester City and Arsenal have shown that you can convert central defenders into full-backs with great success, provided you find the right player profile. At any other point in history, players like Josko Gvardiol and Ben White would have played in the middle, no questions asked.

Liverpool could go down this route when finding a ‘new Robertson’. Jarrad Branthwaite has long been linked with a controversial transfer from Everton as a Van Dijk replacement, but in the short-term he could be an option alongside him at left-back.

Slot could of course decide to go in the opposite direction to Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola, and look for a more natural attacking option to take Robertson’s place.

Bournemouth’s left-back Milos Kerkez was brought to the Premier League by then-sporting director Richard Hughes.

Kerkez’s attacking ability as a full-back has been clear, however it is the defensive side to his game which has been improving since coming to England.

Last season he had the most successful defensive actions in the Premier League for an under-23 left-back with 9.85, beating out former Liverpool target Levi Colwill and Destiny Udogie, who many viewed as one of the best full-backs in the league last year.

He was described as 'explosive' by his Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola to the Bournemouth Echo last season, and could be a great option.

Liverpool have also been linked with Girona's Miguel Guttierez, Wolves' Rayan Ait-Nouri and Fulham's Antonee Robinson – all attacking full-backs.

Whether they go for a similar player to Robertson or someone in more of a Gvardiol mould, left-back is a key position for Liverpool to get their recruitment right in the next 12 months.