Liverpool defender Andy Robertson is set to remain on the sidelines for a while longer and will likely miss the whole of January, manager Jurgen Klopp said on Friday.
Robertson is “not even close” to returning to training as he continues to recover from a dislocated his shoulder he sustained while on international duty with Scotland in October.
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“Robbo still needs more range in his shoulder. [He’s] still not even close to team training,” Klopp told a news conference.
“[He] can do a lot, everything without using the arm properly which is good but on the other side, shows we still a long way to go. For sure I think [he’ll miss] the full January. He has to get closer and closer.”
Robertson’s replacement at left-back, Kostas Tsimikas, is also set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after he broke his collarbone against Arsenal.
The club are hopeful midfielder Alexis Mac Allister could return to face Newcastle on Monday as he recovers from the knee injury he suffered against Sheffield United earlier this month.
“We will ese what he can do today, whether he can step into team training or not. The decision is not done, it’s pretty early so we will see,” Klopp added.