Dominik Szoboszlai's Knee Scan Puts Hungary on Edge
Dominik Szoboszlai’s relentless season has hit its first real wobble. Liverpool’s midfield driving force will undergo tests on a knee problem as Hungary hold their breath ahead of two pivotal Nations League fixtures.
The 26-year-old was withdrawn after 69 minutes of Liverpool’s 3-1 win over Crystal Palace at Anfield on Sunday, a change that initially looked precautionary but has quickly taken on greater significance for club and country.
Hungary on edge before potential group decider
The Hungarian Football Federation confirmed their captain is “following the usual protocol in such cases”, with medical assessments now set to determine whether he can feature against Georgia and Northern Ireland.
Hungary sit second in Nations League Group B2, one point behind leaders Northern Ireland. The schedule could hardly be more delicate: Marco Rossi’s side travel to Georgia on Saturday before what is shaping into a straight shootout with Northern Ireland in Budapest on 17 November.
Those two games will go a long way to defining Hungary’s campaign. They will hope their talisman is at the heart of it, not watching from the treatment room.
Iraola torn between Liverpool’s needs and national duty
Speaking after the Palace win that lifted Liverpool to fourth in the Premier League, Andoni Iraola cut the figure of a coach trying to balance ambition with realism.
“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, underlining both the player’s commitment and the concern over his condition.
“I suppose they will have to analyse, the medical staff, and see what it is. 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.”
That last line hangs over both camps. Liverpool need him for the grind of the winter schedule. Hungary need him for the sharp end of a Nations League group they are well placed to win.
Scars from the last international break
Iraola’s caution is rooted in recent experience. Szoboszlai, Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo all missed Liverpool’s 3-0 defeat by Manchester City in October, immediately after a four-game international window that stretched the squad to breaking point.
“The last thing we need now is to lose players in the international games,” Iraola admitted. “Last time, in the international break, we lost three very important players, so now I'm praying – it's the last thing we need.”
On Szoboszlai specifically, the Spaniard offered a sliver of reassurance, but nothing definitive.
“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.”
Fine margins for a key figure
This is where the margins tighten. A slight extension, a touch of discomfort, a player desperate to represent his country, and a club manager wary of history repeating itself.
Hungary will wait for the scan results and hope their captain can lead them into a decisive fortnight. Liverpool will watch just as closely, knowing that how this knee responds could shape not only a Nations League group, but the rhythm of their own season.
