Virgil van Dijk has insisted Milos Kerkez will be “absolutely fine” at Liverpool after the defender endured a day to forget on Sunday.
Kerkez suffered the embarrassment of being substituted before half-time in the Reds’ win over Burnley. The Hungarian international was left walking a tightrope after receiving a yellow card for diving - a moment that left former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher fuming.
He escaped a second booking - and a subsequent red card - moments later, despite being adjudged to have fouled Jaidon Anthony as Burnley looked to break. That was enough for Arne Slot to decide to make a change though.
Kerkez was brought off in the 38th minute and replaced by Andy Robertson, who will be eyeing up his first start of the season tomorrow as the Reds begin their Champions League campaign at home to Atletico Madrid.
Despite another tough afternoon amid what has been a tricky start to life at Liverpool for Kerkez, his captain offered up some praise for him.
“Milos is a fantastic, aggressive player,” Van Dijk said in a press conference on Tuesday.
Virgil van Dijk and Milos Kerkez
Virgil van Dijk and Milos Kerkez (Image: Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
“He is learning how we play and the intensity of playing for Liverpool. It is difficult to deal with, on and off the pitch, but he is going to be absolutely fine.”
Van Dijk was also asked about Kerkez’s compatriot Dominik Szoboszlai. The midfielder has enjoyed a fine start to the season, with his form while playing at right-back even seeing him get the nod over both Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong on Sunday.
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Liverpool FC 2025/26 kits
“Dom has had a great start to the season, playing in not his favorite position,” Van Dijk said. “But he has done it at a world class level. It is a great option to have for the rest of the season. I am delighted for both of them. They are getting better each and every day.”
Liverpool.com says: It has been a tricky start to the season for Kerkez, but hopefully that will just prove to be a case of him getting used to his new surroundings. There is no doubt about his quality, given what we saw from him at Bournemouth, especially last season.
For now though, it might be wise for Slot to take him out of the firing line, and in Robertson, he has a superb replacement ready to go tomorrow against Atletico.