Liverpool suffer injury scare as international captain forced off with arm in sling
Scotland captain Andy Robertson will return to Liverpool for a scan after he was forced off with a shoulder injury in the 2-0 defeat to Spain in Seville on Thursday.
Robertson clashed with Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon late in the first half of their Euro 2024 qualifier and left the pitch using his shirt as a sling after a suspected dislocated shoulder.
Scotland manager Steve Clarke has already ruled Robertson out of Tuesday’s friendly against France and said the defender will now undergo a scan back at Liverpool.
“It was an immediate decision to take him off, he’ll go back to his club, he’ll be assessed,” Clarke said.
“Obviously he’s hurt his shoulder. We’ll have a look, obviously go back to his club. Always seems to happens when you lose one player in a position: we lose Kieran (Tierney) on the left side and then Andy’s picked up a shoulder injury.
“We’ll see how it is, see how it settles down and hopefully he’s good for his club as quickly as possible and he’s ready to help us in November.”
Scotland went on to lose their first match of their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign after Scott McTominay’s stunning free-kick was controversially disallowed.
The result means Clarke’s side may need a result in Georgia in November, unless Norway fail to beat Spain in Oslo on Sunday.
The more immediate concern over Robertson will be from Liverpool, who face Everton in the Merseyside derby on October 21.
Clarke reflected on the disappointment of the result in Seville, but is confident his side will still qualify from the group having picked up 15 points from the opening six games.
He said: “We came here determined to qualify. It hasn’t happened tonight but I think there was a lot to be pleased about in the performance.
“The big moment in the game is probably the close decision on the Scott McTominay goal.
“At the time we think it is a goal.
“You know when the referee gets told to look at it he is probably going to chalk it off.
“They have made the call, there is no point me going on about it.
“I think there was a little bit confusion at the time, whether it was offside or for a foul on the keeper.
“If you take those two together, Jack Hendry was marginally offside and when he steps towards the goalkeeper they have interpreted that as Jack being involved in the play but I will tell you now there is now way in the world the keeper was saving that no matter where Jack Hendry was.
“You just move on, it is a VAR decision that goes against you.
“When we conceded it makes it more difficult and the second goal puts gloss on for Spain I don’t think they deserve.
“Tonight was a first chance to qualify. It has gone beyond us. Maybe the result on Sunday night goes in our favour and we qualify from that. But we won’t qualify from that, we will qualify for the work we have done, we have 15 points from six games.
“If the result doesn’t go our way and Norway then we have a very realistic chance in the two games in November to win the section.”
READ MORE: Maguire vanity underlines pressure that accompanies surprise Manchester United lifeline
