Arne Slot has explained substituting Milos Kerkez with 38 minutes played at Burnley, concerningly admitting he “can never be 100 percent he doesn’t make the next foul.”
Kerkez was booked for a clear dive midway through the first half at Turf Moor and will have tempted referee Michael Oliver to pull out a second yellow with a foul soon after.
Slot responded by hooking his left-back before half-time, with Andy Robertson taking his place due to fears of a red card for the second time in just five games already this season.
Speaking to Match of the Day after Liverpool’s 1-0 win over Burnley, the head coach conceded that he “can never be 100 percent” Kerkez won’t make another foul on a yellow.
“It was because he got a yellow card,” Slot explained.
“I think the fans here thought a chance for them to win the game is if we ended up with a second yellow.
“With Milos I can never be 100 percent he doesn’t make the next foul, then the fans are on top of the referee.
“I thought the only way we could lose it today was if we went down to 10 men.”
It is a worrying trend for a player Slot described as “playing every duel as if his life depends on it” earlier this season.
While Kerkez’s full-blooded approach is admirable, particularly when Liverpool are on top, there is a sense that the Hungarian is over-committing in these early games since his £40 million move from Bournemouth.
Whether that is due to the pressure of living up to the role of first-choice left-back for the Premier League champions is unclear.
But the weight of the shirt could certainly be a factor for a player with considerably less experience than the veteran who is currently vying for his spot in the side.
Robertson is a logical choice to start against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night as Slot begins rotation in a busy period, but there is a debate to be had over whether he should be retained as first choice for the time being.