When Andy Robertson walks out at Anfield this weekend, he will do so wearing Tottenham colours rather than Liverpool red, a swift and unexpected reunion barely four months after his emotional farewell. Unlike former captain Jordan Henderson, who waited years for his own return to be marked, Robertson's homecoming has arrived almost immediately courtesy of the Carabao Cup draw.
Whatever reception awaits him, the early signs suggest Liverpool are already feeling the absence of a player who, at his peak, ranked among the finest left-backs in world football and remains a serious candidate for the club's all-time greatest XI. Under Roberto De Zerbi at Spurs, Robertson's status is not entirely settled - he was left out for the trip to Nottingham Forest but returned to help keep a clean sheet against Everton. Still, his old club appears to be struggling to fill the void he left behind.
Liverpool's initial solution was to recall Kostas Tsimikas from his loan spell at Roma, positioning the Greek defender as understudy to summer signing Milos Kerkez. Tsimikas made his first Liverpool start in 15 months against Fulham at the weekend, and while the team avoided defeat - having lost two of their previous five matches - his individual display left plenty to be desired. He was withdrawn at half-time following an underwhelming showing.
The fact that Kerkez looked notably sharper by comparison speaks volumes, given the Hungarian had himself struggled just days earlier in the defeat to Atletico Madrid, appearing to be the team's weak point. Some allowance might be made for Tsimikas still adjusting to Arne Slot's system after his time away, but the opponents were a previously winless Fulham side - precisely the kind of fixture where rotation should be low-risk. With a demanding schedule and Slot's attacking philosophy placing heavy physical demands on full-backs, squad depth in that position matters more than it might elsewhere.
For context, Robertson made 20 appearances across all competitions last season, a number that some felt was already too low given Kerkez's early growing pains following his move to Anfield. Slot continued to select the youngster through difficult patches. Tsimikas, despite twice reaching 19 starts in previous seasons, does not look poised to hit 20 this time around - yet the competition for the left-back spot may matter more now than in almost any other area of the squad.
Kerkez's mistakes have already proven costly. Of the five goals Liverpool have conceded this season, two stemmed directly from his defending - Anthony Elanga's burst past him at Newcastle and Marcos Llorente's run in behind him against Atletico Madrid. Early on, attention was diverted somewhat by Jeremie Frimpong's struggles at right-back, but Liverpool appear to have addressed that side of defense by bringing in Ronald Araujo. No such fix exists on the opposite flank.
Sunday's meeting with Bournemouth adds extra intrigue, marking Kerkez's second encounter with his former club and the first return for their current manager. He will likely face Rayan, a talented young Brazilian who arrived during that period, while comparisons with Adrien Truffert - his successor at Bournemouth - could prove unflattering. The two made their respective Premier League debuts in the same fixture 13 months ago, a Liverpool win in which Truffert reportedly outperformed Kerkez.
Optimism around Kerkez persists given his youth - he is nearly ten years Robertson's junior and even younger than Truffert - and the belief that his qualities suit Liverpool's new setup better than they did Slot's approach. Yet with Liverpool having opted not to pursue a new left-back this summer, banking instead on Tsimikas as a stopgap while prioritizing wide attacking reinforcements, questions remain about whether either option currently available represents an adequate long-term answer at left-back.
Based on reporting from independent-football.