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Liverpool left-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.
Kerkez, who was on a booking, was hooked around 10 minutes before the interval and replaced by Robertson, who he has ousted from the starting XI at the start of the new Premier League campaign.
Arne Slot insisted afterward that it would have been too big a risk to keep the Hungary full-back on the field, especially in wet and windy conditions, and in Robertson, he had a perfect replacement available in reserve.
"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.
"The international break was good for me as I was able to get two 90 minutes and get that match fitness and two really good results for Scotland and I took a lot of confidence from that.
"Today you just have to be ready to be there at any moment, probably a bit earlier than expected but when you get booked in a game like this it is always difficult.
"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."
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Kerkez joined Liverpool from Bournemouth for a fee of around $57 million (£40 million) this summer. While Robertson didn't cost as much when he arrived from Hull City in 2017, he knows how big the step up is.
"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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