Liverpool injury crisis will not factor into whether Andy Robertson starts for Scotland - Steve Clarke

Scotland boss Steve Clarke has insisted that the current injury crisis at Liverpool will not factor into his decision over whether to risk Andy Robertson against Slovakia and Israel.

Scotland's Andy Robertson during the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifier between Serbia and Scotland at the Stadion Rajko Mitic on November 12, 2020, in Belgrade, Serbia. (Photo by Nikola Krstic / SNS Group)

The left back is nursing a tight hamstring after playing the full 120 minutes of the 1-1 draw and subsequent penalty shoot-out win over Serbia on Thursday which qualified Scotland for next summer’s rescheduled Euro 2020 – their first appearance at a major finals since 1998.

Robertson’s club side are currently in the grip of a defensive dilemma with Anfield boss Jurgen Klopp having to make do without Virgil Van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez, who all currently sidelined by injury.

When asked if Liverpool’s injury list would factor into his decision over whether to start his captain in the upcoming Nations League fixtures, Clarke replied: "No. I can only choose the players to play for us on the merits that I see in the games.

"Listen, I am very respectful of all the clubs and understand that club managers will be nervous about the players that are away with the national teams but I've been in that position myself and I am sure they know it's my job to get a winning team on the park, the same as it's theirs too.

"He actually reported in at the start of the week with a tight hamstring after the Liverpool game. It was a just a little bit tight again after the game, so we have to be careful, we don't want a tight hamstring to become a torn hamstring. We have to try and protect all the players as much as we can.”

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