Liverpoolleft-back Andy Robertson has backed Milos Kerkez to quickly bounce back after he was substituted in the first half of the Reds' late win over Burnley at Turf Moor.The summer signing was on a early booking and replaced around 10 minutes before the break.

Arne Slot maintained afterwards that it would have been too risky to leave the Hungary full-back on the pitch, particularly in wet and blustery conditions – and in Robertson, he had an ideal substitute ready on the bench. Kerkez had been booked by referee Michael Oliver for simulation in the 22nd minute.

"Yes, I said already to him that it wasn't smart," Slot said. "He replied to me that he felt some arm in his back. But let's be clear, it wasn't a penalty."

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Slot added: "Not only the yellow card but also afterwards he played the ball no foul at all, but the referee blew his whistle which can always happen.

“Then it’s a risk. The only way we could have lost his game was if we were down to 10. 11 v 11 we could have drawn it, but we couldn’t lose it as they were barely over the halfway line.

“I didn’t want to take that risk. It was hard for Milos because normally you don’t have to take a player off if he has a yellow. But I felt this was the best choice.”

Robertson, who was Liverpool's first-choice left-back prior to Kerkez'smove, showed his classy character as he defended the Hungary international after his tough start to life with the champions. "He has come in and was fantastic for Bournemouth last season," Robertson said at Turf Moor on Sunday.

"He's only young and I think we forget that. All the new signings are young but have incredible potential and they are the future of the club. You try to help them as much as you can but you want to put pressure on them and you want to play games."

Robertson continued: "He will be the starting left-back for Liverpool in the future and it's up to me to push him this season and help him improve. He has a fantastic future ahead of him and he just needs to keep working hard and not let today affect him, which it won't as he's a confident lad.

"I'll help him as much as I can but I do want to play games and be the starting left-back and I have got to keep pushing to try to produce the levels I know I can do as well."

Kerkez made his move to Liverpool from Bournemouth in a deal worth £40million this summer. While Robertson didn't come with such a hefty fee when he joined from Hull City in 2017, he understands the magnitude of the leap.

"It's a massive jump," Robertson admitted, "I came from Hull, he's come from Bournemouth and it's probably quite similar. There are a lot more eyes on you in a Liverpool jersey than it is than those two clubs.

"He has transitioned well, there's a lot of information and a lot of different ways of playing and he just needs to keep going and keep his confidence.

"We'll try to help him and others throughout the season and I have no doubt in the future he will be a fantastic left-back for Liverpool and that's the main thing."

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