Brave for Hungary, risky for Liverpool: Szoboszlai’s warm-up admission changes the picture
The headline numbers looked encouraging. Dominik Szoboszlai played every minute of Hungary’s 2-0 win over Georgia and laid on the second goal for Barnabas Varga. Dig into what he said afterwards, though, and the story becomes far less comfortable for anyone of a Liverpool persuasion.
The admission that should worry Iraola
Szoboszlai arrived on international duty carrying a knee problem picked up in Liverpool’s victory at Crystal Palace. That alone made his participation a question mark. After the match in Tbilisi, he revealed just how close he came to sitting it out.
The Hungary captain explained that while he was personally convinced he would be fit, the medical staff had their doubts. He said he had been improving day by day with treatment, had only managed around a training session and a half, and then felt the leg again when striking a shot during the warm-up. At that point, he admitted, he almost withdrew, but decided that having come so far he was not going to let his teammates down.
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He also made clear the recovery process now begins again, with the aim of being available for Tuesday. In other words, the knee has not settled, it has simply been managed well enough to get him through one game, and the same cycle of treatment and testing starts over within days.
Admirable leadership, awkward timing
We understand the instinct. Captains want to lead, and Hungary needed him. But from Liverpool’s side, this reads very differently. Doctors were unsure, he felt pain before kick-off and he played anyway. That is not a player who is fully fit, however good his performance looked.
The bigger concern is what comes next. Szoboszlai has already said he intends to be ready for Hungary’s meeting with Northern Ireland. That leaves Andoni Iraola and the Liverpool medical team watching from a distance, hoping their midfielder does not push his body harder than it can handle.
Why Liverpool need him at full speed
Liverpool have a heavy schedule before the end of December, and Szoboszlai is central to how they want to play. His running, pressing and ability to drive the ball forward are a huge part of his value. A knee issue that is not managed properly can take the edge off all of those things, or worse, turn a niggle into a lengthy layoff.
This is the age-old club versus country tension, and clubs rarely win it once a player has joined up with his national team. Liverpool can only monitor, communicate and wait. Our view is simple: one completed match does not mean the problem has gone, and his own description of the warm-up proves that. Until he is back at the AXA Training Centre and assessed, a degree of worry is entirely justified.
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