During last month's international break, Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson dislocated his shoulder while playing for Scotland in a Euro 2024 qualifier against Spain. When he returned to Liverpool, it was decided that the best option was for him to undergo surgery.

Jurgen Klopp confirmed that the procedure was carried out on October 25, and the rehabilitation period is expected to last around three months (via BBC Sport). In terms of a timeline, it remains the most serious injury to hit Liverpool so far this season.

Across the Premier League, injuries are becoming increasingly frequent. There have already been 196 since the start of the season, a 15 per cent increase compared with the past four campaigns, as expert Ben Dinnery told BBC Sport.

This revelation has inevitably intensified fears over player welfare, and right now, it looks like things are only going to get worse. Next season, teams will play two more matches in the first phase of UEFA competitions with the introduction of a new 'Swiss model'. The sides who finish between ninth and 24th in the overall 36-team league table will then have to play an extra knockout round to even reach the round of 16. The traditional December to February break will be no more, and finalists could play as many as 17 games in the tournament.

Meanwhile, FIFA has introduced an expanded 32-team Club World Cup from 2025 that will be held every four years and feature 12 European teams. Held in the summer, it could significantly extend the season for elite players.

The game is headed in a concerning direction and nothing is really being done to check it. There are no signs, for instance, of the international match calendar being trimmed to compensate for the intensifying club schedule. Instead, more teams have been added to the European Championships, Africa Cup of Nations, CONCACAF Gold Cup and AFC Asian Cup in recent years, and the World Cup will feature 48 countries from 2026. Quite simply, more matches mean more money, and so any steps back towards moderation from here will see revenues fall.

One of the only meaningful countermeasures that we have seen is the introduction of five substitutes. This isn't enough in and of itself to avert the crisis in player welfare, but does at least mitigate the problem by allowing for more rest within games.

Liverpool boss Klopp was one of the loudest, most consistent and, when clubs voted 'no', most frustrated advocates. "It's essential that, at one point, we go again for the five subs in the Premier League," he said in March 2022 (via This is Anfield). "I don't understand why it takes that long to understand it. Because the Premier League has to save their top-class players as well.

"You keep the players in a better place, you would get much less injuries, definitely, over the years - we will see that if we finally introduce it. That's why we need five subs, I tell you. I don't know why you [journalists in the room] are laughing - it's not funny. We need five subs."

The rather sad reality is that, in all likelihood, this change was only approved in the end because it didn't hurt clubs' revenues. In that sense, it was effectively free PR.

Still, elite players should be thankful to figures like Klopp, who certainly wasn't alone in his calls but used his platform effectively, for speaking up on their behalf. Granted, we won't see truly significant change until those in charge of FIFA and its continental subsidiaries take heed, but in the current climate, anything that alleviates the pressure on players should be celebrated, and that includes the addition of extra substitutions.