Now is the perfect time to start Kostas Tsimikas
Liverpool have been handed the perfect time to start Kostas Tsimikas.
98 minutes. That’s all Greek left-back Tsimikas has played since he signed for the club from Olympiacos in August.
The 24-year-old was signed to be the perfect replacement for Andy Robertson, and there was considerable excitement when the deal was announced.
Three bench appearances, one start and an eight minute cameo in the 5-0 win over Atalanta at the start of November is the sum total of Tsimikas’ contribution so far.
He has been unlucky with injuries. A positive COVID-19 test was followed up with a thigh problem that kept him out for three games, said Transfermarkt.
Tsimikas is back now, made the bench against Leicester, and needs to be started as Liverpool play Atalanta at Anfield on Wednesday night.
While a win would secure qualification to the next stage of the Champions League, Liverpool do have a little buffer if Tsimikas came into the side and the Reds lost. This team never wants to lose, it wouldn’t be the end of the world and Klopp does have some wiggle room here.
As Champions League debuts for Liverpool go, Tsimikas would be handed a fairly low-risk way to go about things.
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Robertson needs a rest, or else it won’t be long before he goes the same way as Trent Alexander-Arnold or Jordan Henderson.
The congested schedule means that Jurgen Klopp can’t continue to start his key players without them picking up some wear and tear.
Robbo has already picked up a hamstring strain while on international duty with Scotland and was left out of the squad to play Slovakia following the dramatic win over Serbia.
Despite that, the left-back played a high-intensity 90 minutes in the 3-0 win over Leicester.
If anyone needs a rest, it’s Robbo. Tsimikas was signed for exactly this purpose and he needs to be picked in order to provide the Scot a rest and some time to properly recover before the 12:30 game against Brighton.
Next. Back to 4-3-3 with Tsimikas and Williams - Liverpool lineup vs Atalanta. dark
With only three days in between the Foxes win, the Atalanta match, and the Brighton clash, things are going to get pretty hectic. Klopp will need to use his full roster in order to avoid injuries, and that has to include players like Tsimikas.