Scotland suffered defeat to Northern Ireland tonight a hotly-contested affair at Hampden Park as Liverpool’s Conor Bradley got the only goal of the game – but it was bad news for a Reds teammate.
Scotland were firm favourites to beat Northern Ireland on Tuesday night, so much so that Steve Clarke made a couple of changes – including the likes of Leeds captain Liam Cooper coming into the starting XI.
But Northern Ireland secured a shock result, a 1-0 win away from home. Two crucial moments happened just before the 40th minute. Firstly, Nathan Patterson made a mistake – allowing Bradley to find the net.
Then, Andy Robertson trudged off with an injury. Accompanied by Scotland’s physios, the left-back had his “head in his hands” according to BBC Sport’s Live coverage of the game – as he exited the field of play.
Replaced by Lewis Ferguson, Robertson has been no stranger to injury this season. Indeed, a shoulder injury has limited Robertson to just 20 games in league and cup. BBC Live covered his exit from the pitch.
“Andy Robertson has his head in his hands, he knows his night is up. The worry is, is it beyond tonight? Robertson trudges off, with his head tucked away into his shirt at times. His reaction is really worrying.”
Losing Robertson would be a massive blow for Liverpool, now
Kostas Tsimikas and Joe Gomez are the obvious replacements, while the man that scored the winner on Tuesday against Robertson’s Scotland, could easily go to the left side and replace him. But it is a blow.
The drop in quality from Robertson to Tsimikas – or using a right-footed player on the left side – means Liverpool lose a big weapon in the arsenal ahead of a title race over the course of the next two months.
Jurgen Klopp will be a worried man this evening, hoping Robertson’s injury is not a serious one. But, judging by his reaction, it could easily be an issue that rules the defender out for the rest of the season.
