Kostas Tsimikas could be in store for his biggest opportunity yet in a Liverpool shirt, potentially holding down the left back position in the wake of Andrew Robertson’s shoulder injury.

The Greek defender has played second string to the Scottish captain ever since joining the Reds from Olympiacos back in 2020, playing mostly off the bench with infrequent starts (except for secondary competitions like the Cups and the Europa League).

Tsimikas could be called upon to act as Liverpool’s main left back after Robertson hurt his shoulder in Scotland’s game with Spain this international break.

The severity of the injury is unknown, though the belief is he will be out for a number of matches, paving the way for the Greek to step in and make his mark.

This represents somewhat uncharted territory for the former Olympiacos left back, who has only started back-to-back Premier League games four times in his Liverpool career with his longest stretch seeing him play three times in the first XI last season, again due to a Robertson injury.

Tsimikas will definitely view this as the chance to prove his worth, especially after penning a new deal with the club just last month to keep him there until 2027.

There is no doubt Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp brought him in to serve as back-up, though the question remains as to whether he trusts him to be his number one choice when required for a run of games, not just the odd one here and there.

Comparing Tsimikas and Robertson

Tsimikas profiles quite similar to Robertson, each possessing dangerous attacking ability specifically through their crosses, which is likely what drew Liverpool to the Greek in the first place.

Indeed, they both enjoy delivering outswinging crosses from the left flank, something which Tsimikas utilises heavily for the the Greek national team as well, and the Greek’s attacking quality arguably exceeds the Scotsman’s.

Tsimikas, as reported by Andy Jones from the Athletic, averages 34.6 touches per 90 minutes in the attacking third in the Premier League which is noticeably higher than Robertson (29.7).

In terms of progressing the ball forward, Tsimikas prefers to dribble more than Robertson (7.4 dribbles per game to 4.8), with the Scotsman preferring to pass the ball (22.5 passes per game to 17.7).

Tsimikas is also the more aggressive defender of the two, making 6.6 true-tackle attempts per 1,000 opposition touches compared to Robertson’s 4.1, though he also commits nearly three times more fouls per game (1.85 to 0.68).

Adapting to the 3-box-3 system

The big test for Tsimikas as a defender will come now as he steps into Liverpool’s new system of play and strives to fit into it as well as Robertson has.

In the previous 4-3-3 formation employed by the Reds, the creativity came predominantly from both wing backs, a fact which suited Tsimikas’ playing style tremendously.

His qualities as an advancing left back could leave him exposed, however, in the new system Liverpool has implemented, with right back Trent Alexander-Arnold joining the midfield when in possession and the left back turning into a third centre half.

Robertson, who has played as a centre back before with Scotland and is seen as a more compact defender, has adapted to this role but it represents a whole new proposition for Tsimikas as he will have to keep his natural attacking instincts in check.

Not helping the Greek’s case has been his sluggish start to this campaign in the matches he has played in, as well as the fact that in the only game he started under this new system, he was part of a defence that conceded four goals to the now-relegated Southampton.

Tsimikas’ main competition in the absence of Robertson is Joe Gomez, a centre half by trade who has played both right back and left back during his Liverpool career.

Klopp’s management of his deputy left back in this Robertson-less period will speak volumes on his faith in the player.

Should Klopp drop Tsimikas after a bad game or even prefer Gomez from the outset, it could have damaging ramifications on the Greek’s confidence and make him question his own standing in the team.

Whatever happens, this will likely be seen as a pivotal make-or-break moment in Tsimikas’ Liverpool career.