Dominik Szoboszlai Faces Fitness Race Ahead of Nations League Matches
Dominik Szoboszlai will spend the start of international week in a treatment room rather than on the training pitch, as Liverpool and Hungary wait anxiously on tests on the midfielder’s knee.
The 26-year-old was withdrawn after 69 minutes of Liverpool’s 3-1 win over Crystal Palace at Anfield on Sunday, a victory that nudged Andoni Iraola’s side up to fourth in the Premier League table. He walked off under his own steam, but not with his usual swagger. Something wasn’t right.
By Monday, the concern had shifted from Merseyside to Budapest.
Hungary’s Football Federation confirmed their captain is undergoing examinations to determine the extent of the problem and whether he can feature in their Nations League double-header against Georgia and Northern Ireland. They described Szoboszlai as “following the usual protocol in such cases” and promised an update on his availability as soon as the medical picture becomes clearer.
For club and country, the timing could hardly be more delicate.
Hungary’s leader, Hungary’s dilemma
Hungary sit second in Nations League Group B2, one point behind leaders Northern Ireland. The group concludes in Budapest on 17 November, when those two sides meet in what could be a straight shootout for top spot.
Before that potential decider, Marco Rossi takes his team to Georgia on Saturday. Every session counts. Every player counts. Above all, their captain counts.
Szoboszlai is the heartbeat of this Hungary side – creator, carrier, and standard-bearer. Losing him for either game would reshape Rossi’s plans and the complexion of the group.
No one knows that better than the player himself, and Iraola made it clear the midfielder will push hard to be involved.
“I know he will do everything to go because he loves to play with the national team, but he was not 100% when he finished the game,” the Liverpool manager said after the Palace win.
The desire is not in doubt. The question is whether the knee will cooperate.
Iraola’s warning after bruising international break
Iraola’s caution is rooted in recent experience. October’s international window left scars.
Szoboszlai, Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo all missed Liverpool’s 3-0 defeat by Manchester City immediately after that four-game block of national-team fixtures. Three key players, three absences, one heavy loss. It was a stark reminder of how quickly a squad can be stretched.
“The last thing we need now is to lose players in the international games,” Iraola said. “Last time, in the international break, we lost three very important players, so now I’m praying – it’s the last thing we need.”
This time, he is determined not to repeat the same story. He spelled out the situation with Szoboszlai in simple terms.
“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.”
That phrase – “not 100%” – hangs over the week.
Club versus country, again
None of this is new in elite football. A national icon wants to lead his country into a decisive international window. His club, still scarred by the last break, urges caution. Medical staff on both sides pore over scans and data, weighing risk against reward.
“I suppose they will have to analyse, the medical staff, and see what it is,” Iraola said. “I know what I want, but I also have to understand the national teams. I’m sure that Dom, if he is fine he will want to go, but I’m not sure if he’s going to be fine.”
Liverpool want their influential midfielder protected as the season tightens and the fixtures stack up. Hungary want their captain on the pitch for the biggest moments of their Nations League campaign.
Somewhere between those two demands, a knee scan will decide how much influence Dominik Szoboszlai can have on the next chapter of his season – and on Hungary’s push for the top of Group B2.
