Virgil van Dijk showed his true colors after Liverpool youngster Amara Nallo's red card

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk was quick to console center-back Amara Nallo after the youngster was sent off against Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup.

Nallo came on in the second half against Oliver Glasner's side but was shown his marching orders for bringing down Justin Devenny when the Northern Ireland midfielder was racing through on goal. Ismaila Sarr had already scored twice for Crystal Palace before Spanish winger Yeremy Pino added a third late on.

Brought on when Liverpool was already heading out, Nallo was given a red card for the second game in a row. He has played twice for the Reds at senior level, failing to stay on in either.

Earlier in the year, Nallo was sent off for a similar offense against PSV in the Champions League, that time after only four minutes. On both occasions, he didn't need to make a tackle but made an error and subsequently panicked.

Nallo trudged off the field after leaving referee Craig Pawson with no choice. Van Dijk, who was watching on from behind the bench, followed him down the tunnel.

"What a horrible feeling for the youngster," former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock said while commentating on the game for BBC Radio 5Live.

"There is nothing worse than knowing you have been sent off on your debut. Then there is the next game, you make an error and it leads to another sending off.

"I have just seen Virgil van Dijk walk down the tunnel. You have to try to pick the youngster up."

Nallo has impressed at youth level for Liverpool but is yet to translate that form into his senior appearances. He could get another chance in the early rounds of the FA Cup early in the new year.

Defending his team selection, Arne Slot also said that the injuries played a part in his team looking weaker than normal. As well as an inexperienced starting XI, he didn't have any senior stars among the subs.

"I saw Manchester City's starting eleven and they didn't have one starter from the weekend but it felt like their best team," he said.

"That is a bit of an insight. Chelsea can bring Estevao in. After I made two substitutions tonight, we had six teenagers."

Slot did reveal, though, that his side could be bolstered by the return of at least one senior player from injury at the weekend.

"Ryan [Gravenberch] has a good chance [of being back for the weekend]," the Dutchman confirmed post-match. "The other ones, let's wait and see."

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