’Last Thing We Need’—Dominik Szoboszlai Injury Worry Stings Liverpool

Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola revealed that Dominik Szoboszlai had a complaint with his knee during Sunday’s victory over Crystal Palace, forcing him to fret over another potential absence for his trusted midfielder which, in his words, “is the last thing we need.”

Szoboszlai has been battling a nagging thigh injury since the previous international break in October but had recovered to start the weekend trip to Selhurst Park. The all-action No. 8 enjoyed an encouraging display, notably swinging in the delivery which Alexis Mac Allister headed beyond Dean Henderson for the game’s opening goal. Yet, his afternoon would abruptly conclude in the 69th minute.

“Dom has... I don’t know [if it’s] a problem, but he definitely wasn’t 100%,” Iraola told assembled media in the wake of a 3–1 win. “I think he extended a little bit the knee, it was fine, but not 100%, so he has to be careful to see if he can play with the national team or not.“

Iraola is invariably hoping for a well-time international withdrawal from the 26-year-old. As he was keen to remind everyone, the previous club hiatus saw a glut of his first-choice lineup return to the Merseyside treatment room.

“The last thing we need now is to lose players in the international games,” Iraola lamented. “Last time, in the international break, we lost three very important players, so now I’m praying—it’s the last thing we need.”

“We will see,” the Basque boss added, “and also hope that it doesn’t happen like the other break where we lost Alex [Isak], Cody [Gakpo] and Dom. So, touch wood we are in a better place in two weeks.”

This is far from Szoboszlai’s first fitness scare of the season. The Hungary captain pulled up with a hamstring issue while on international duty in the fall, forcing him to the sidelines for a notable visit from Manchester City. Liverpool were thumped 3–0.

Fit or not, Szoboszlai was unlikely to feature against Austrian outsider LASK in the Champions League yet Iraola rushed the midfielder back for the subsequent Premier League trip to Brentford. The upright operator lasted just half an hour, which would prove to be the only minutes he played for Liverpool across the entirely of October.

Iraola has taken a more cautious approach with Szoboszlai’s subsequent reintroduction, naming his regular starter on the bench for the recent loss to Arsenal, but his body is still clearly in a fragile state.

Hungary takes on Georgia and Northern Ireland this month as they chase after promotion in the Nations League. Seven points from the nation’s first four group-stage fixtures leaves Szoboszlai & Co. within reach of top spot, and that clash with current leaders Northern Ireland on Nov. 17 in Budapest could be decisive. If Iraola has his way, Szoboszlai won’t be involved.