How many Liverpool matches Andy Robertson will miss following red card, with Premier League rule clarified

Liverpool news as Andy Robertson’s return date is confirmed after being sent off against Fulham in Saturday’s Premier League match.

For just the third time in his professional career, Andy Robertson was shown a red card. His early dismissal left Liverpool playing with 10 men for more than 75 minutes against Fulham.

This marked his second red card for the Anfield club, and Robertson appeared stunned when referee Tony Harrington sent him off shortly after Andreas Pereira’s opening goal. VAR upheld the decision, leaving Arne Slot with a dilemma to address.

With a goal and a man down, Liverpool found themselves without their two main left-back options, as Kostas Tsimikas was already suspended for accumulating yellow cards, having received his fifth against Newcastle earlier this month.

Fortunately for Slot, Robertson will not face a further suspension in Premier League matches. Aside from missing the remainder of the game against Fulham, who proved as resilient and combative as expected, Liverpool’s Scottish full-back will return soon.

Under new regulations, even a straight red card results in only a one-match ban, depending on the nature of the offense. In Robertson’s case, he was judged to have denied a clear goalscoring opportunity when he fouled Harry Wilson. The former Liverpool player had seized on Robertson’s poor touch and was fouled while heading towards Alisson’s goal.

According to the rules, unlike serious foul play or violent conduct (which carry three-match bans), a foul like Robertson’s only results in a one-match suspension. A handball preventing a goal also earns a one-game ban, while offensive language leads to a two-match suspension.

For Liverpool, this means Robertson will miss only one match. Thanks to favorable scheduling, his suspension will apply to Wednesday’s Carabao Cup quarter-final against Southampton, not next Sunday’s crucial clash with Tottenham. Robertson may have been rested for the cup match anyway, as Liverpool are heavy favorites to progress.

This means that Robertson will be available for the visit to north London next weekend.