Milos Kerkez will be absent as Hungary plays its final game of the international break against Ukraine, with the Liverpool left-back having been released early by his country
BUDAPEST, HUNGARY - OCTOBER 2: Milos Kerkez of Hungary looks on during the UEFA Nations League 2026/27 group phase match between Hungary and Georgia at on October 2, 2026 in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by Sebastian Frej/Getty Images)
Milos Kerkez is missing for Hungary's final game of the international break(Image: Getty Images)
Liverpool’s players will soon be returning to Merseyside as the international break draws to a close - but there is one notable absentee from the final round of Nations League fixtures.
Andoni Iraola will welcome his squad back to the AXA Training Centre this week ahead of the Reds’ return to action against Manchester City on Sunday.
Some players have already returned, with Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo having picked up injuries with Sweden and the Netherlands respectively, while the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch and Florian Wirtz all played their final games for their countries over the weekend.
The last few representatives of Liverpool will be in action over the next couple of days, although there will be no Milos Kerkez as Hungary faces Ukraine on Monday.
The left-back was already confirmed to be missing his country’s final game through suspension, having picked up two yellow cards during Hungary’s previous games over the past couple of weeks.
As a result, the Hungarian Football Federation announced on Sunday that Kerkez had left the nation’s training camp early, leaving him free to make an early return to Liverpool should he wish to do so.
Dominik Szoboszlai and Milos Kerkez of Hungary reacts during the UEFA Nations League 2026/27 group phase match between Hungary and Georgia at on October 2, 2026 in Budapest, Hungary.
Dominik Szoboszlai remains with Hungary while Milos Kerkez has been released early(Image: Getty Images)
The news will come as a boost to Iraola, who will have one less player to worry about during the final days of the break, although the Liverpool boss will still be sweating over Kerkez’s international teammate.
Dominik Szoboszlai remains with Hungary, and will be expected to captain his country again as it takes on Ukraine. The midfielder has already played virtually every minute of the international break so far.
And his most recent appearance may have raised some alarm bells after he was substituted with 10 minutes to go of the win over Georgia, with Hungary boss Marco Rossi admitting afterwards that Szoboszlai was struggling.
“He was cramping and very tired at the end,” Rossi explained. “He made huge sprints, I don’t know how fast he was, but he was very fast.”
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Iraola will be keeping his fingers crossed that Szoboszlai can come through his country’s final game unscathed, with three more members of his first-team squad also set to be in action on Monday.
Jeremy Jacquet and Bradley Barcola will both be eyeing up a start as France hosts Belgium, while Giorgi Mamardashvili is likely to start again in goal as Georgia travels to Northern Ireland. The goalkeeper may also come up against Kieran Morrison, who is currently on loan at Sheffield Wednesday from the Reds.
Four more Liverpool players still have games to come, with Rio Ngumoha, Victor Munoz, Ronald Araujo and Alexis Mac Allister the last batch remaining before Iraola can get back down to work with his squad.