Szoboszlai faces tests after Palace injury

Liverpool face a fresh fitness dilemma as midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai, who limped off in the 3‑1 victory over Crystal Palace, will be examined on Monday, leaving both the club and the Hungarian national side uncertain ahead of the upcoming international break.

There is no point dressing it up.

Szoboszlai is a player with a recent history of breaking down, and that matters.

Past setbacks and missed games

During the previous international break, Szoboszlai aggravated a thigh muscle issue, then lasted only 30 minutes against Brentford before suffering another setback.

The result was five matches missed.

So when he goes off again, nobody is shrugging it off.

Szoboszlai’s fitness concern grows as Hungary have Nations League fixtures against Georgia and Northern Ireland, and his availability is in doubt.

The Hungarian Football Federation confirmed checks are under way, stating: “(Dominik Szoboszlai) who was substituted in the 69th minute of Liverpool FC’s match yesterday, is undergoing tests today, Monday, following the usual protocol in such cases. We will, of course, keep the public informed of developments as soon as possible.”

The timing is awkward for everyone; Liverpool want players wrapped in cotton wool, Hungary want their captain available, and Szoboszlai himself will push to play.

Andoni Iraola offers blunt update and did not pretend everything was fine.

Iraola's blunt update

“Dom definitely wasn’t 100 per cent in the second half,” the Liverpool head coach said after the win.

“Let’s see. The last thing we need now is to lose players in the international games.”

“In the last international break we lost three very important players in Alex (Isak), Cody (Gakpo) and Dom. So now I’m praying, it’s the last thing we need.”

“I think Dom extended the knee a little bit. It was fine but not 100 per cent. He has to be careful to see if he can play for the international team or not.”

“I hope we are in a better place in two weeks. I know Dom will do everything to go as he loves to play for the national team, but he wasn’t 100 per cent when he finished the game.”

That leaves the medical staff to decide what comes next.

“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.”

For Liverpool, that final line is the one that matters most.