New Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi on the sidelines / Andy Robertson of Scotland during the international friendly match between Scotland and Curacao at Hampden Park on May 30, 2026

Roberto De Zerbi has added Andy Robertson to the Tottenham squad on a free transfer.Imago

Roberto De Zerbi's worst fears to come true after what happened to Andy Robertson in Scotland vs Brazil

Senior Correspondent AUTHORITY Senior football journalist specialising in refereeing and officiating; former contributor to The Football League Paper, Late Tackle, and the Premier League; University of Derby graduate. FOCUS Refereeing controversies, football finance and governance, PGMOL decisions, and officiating analysis across the Premier League, EFL, and SPFL. THE INSIGHT Harri utilises a network of officiating and industry contacts to deliver verified, expert analysis of refereeing decisions and PGMOL policy. He provides the regulatory clarity behind the controversy to ensure fans get the full picture.

Published on:

25 Jun 2026, 9:48 am

Tottenham Hotspur signing Andy Robertson on a free transfer may have been a bigger gamble than first anticipated.

While the Scotland international made 36 appearances throughout 2025-26, just 16 of them were Premier League or Champions League starts.

He clearly fell down the pecking order at Liverpool, with Milos Kerkez taking over at left-back, which has ultimately had a huge impact on his 2026 World Cup this summer.

Roberto De Zerbi would have been watching Scotland's win over Haiti with a grin on his face, but those emotions may soon turn sour after the latest scenes.

Steve Clarke's Tartan Army now face a waiting game to see if they qualify for the next stage of the tournament, thanks to consecutive limp defeats to Morocco and Brazil.

Robertson featured in all three games, even picking up a yellow card against Morocco, seeing them currently sitting seventh in the list of best third-placed teams.

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It was an absolute nightmare at the Miami Stadium, with the tone set in the seventh minute when Vinicius Junior benefitted from a Scott McKenna mistake.

The Real Madrid star then pounced to make it 2-0 before half-time, only for the Scots to come back out for the second half without their captain.

Robertson has been unable to rule out missing the rest of the tournament, should Scotland make it through, and that will be a huge concern to those back at Hotspur Way.

At 32 years of age, he could be one of the next names added to Spurs' long-term injury, a list that only ever seems to grow back in North London.

While he arrived on a free transfer, he is unlikely to have come cheap due to his salary, and De Zerbi might be second-guessing his decision to bring the left-back in this summer.

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How else are Spurs' stars faring at the World Cup?

Given the injuries that were suffered during the 2025-26, there are quite a few big names that have missed out on the tournament this summer.

The likes of Jan Paul van Hecke, Marcos Senesi, and Kevin Danso, all in defence, are all experiencing some success so far, as is England's Djed Spence.

Cristian Romero, however, limped off in Argentina's win over Austria. Though, supporters are probably more worried about his price tag taking a hit rather than anything else.

Micky van de Ven and Pedro Porro have all been in action for their respective countries, so it will be interesting to compare how far each of them go in the World Cup.

Roberto De Zerbi