Liverpool defender Andy Robertson will be available for this weekend’s Premier League clash against Tottenham Hotspur, despite receiving a straight red card in Saturday’s draw against Fulham.
Robertson was fired for what was perceived as a last-man foul on former Reds teammate Harry Wilson just 17 minutes into the match. Fulham were already in the lead thanks to a previous goal, which gave Liverpool an uphill battle, but they managed save a point in the 2-2 match.
The Premier League Match Center confirmed exactly why Robertson was given his marching orders: “The referee showed Robertson a red card for a foul on Wilson which denied a scoring opportunity. VAR checked to confirm the red card and that Wilson was in a dangerous position.”
The rules on suspensions related to red cards are different depending on the infraction. Only violent conduct or serious foul play carries an automatic three-match ban, and denying a scoring opportunity is considered a less severe one-match penalty.
Red card suspensions apply in all national competitions. That means Robertson will serve his suspension during Liverpool’s Carabao Cup quarter-final against Southampton and will be eligible to be selected once again when the club’s Premier League schedule resumes on Sunday.
If Robertson had been sent off due to an accumulation of yellow cards, the rules are different. Yellow card suspensions are competition-specific, meaning the left-back would have been fine to play in the Carabao Cup but I would have had to lose one first division accessory in place.
Arne Slot will be without Robertson for the trip to Southampton. Normally, it might not have been such a big blow in a minor match, but with Kostas Tsimikas and Conor Bradley injured, Liverpool They were already in danger of becoming threadbare defensively. Centre-back Ibrahima Konate is also currently absent, so there are no first-team defenders available.
