Liverpool’s Boxing Day match at home to Leeds United being postponed has had an unwelcome impact on the squad available to Jurgen Klopp for their bigger encounter two days later.
After Andy Robertson was sent-off against Tottenham in the Reds’ last Premier League game, a three-match suspension was the end result.
The first of those was against Leicester in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night, which the Reds won on penalties after a 3-3 draw, with the Scottish left-back also set to miss further fixtures against Leeds and then Leicester again in the Premier League on 28 December.
However, the ban will now roll over into the first of Liverpool’s new year fixtures - the trip to Stamford Bridge to play third-place Chelsea.
Robertson was initially shown a yellow but a pitchside monitor check saw that decision upgraded to a red by Paul Tierney, who came in for criticism post-match after opting not to send off Harry Kane for a similar challenge.
Kostas Tsimikas is Liverpool’s other option at left-back, with youngster Owen Beck likely to be third in line.
The latter came off the bench for the closing stages of the shoot-out win over Leicester and has made two appearances for the first team.
Leeds’ squad being ravaged by injuries and now Covid positives means the game is among two to have been called off for Boxing Day, with Wolves against Watford being the other.
Liverpool are second in the table, three points behind leaders Man City as the top flight approaches the halfway point of the campaign.
