Szoboszlai's hamstring setback forces Liverpool to urge patience over Hungary captain's return

Dominik Szoboszlai faces an extended spell on the sidelines after Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola confirmed the Hungary captain re-aggravated the same hamstring injury that had already ruled him out of two matches before last weekend’s 2-1 Premier League win over Brentford. Szoboszlai was withdrawn in the first half of that fixture and subsequently missed Liverpool’s Champions League comeback victory over Villarreal on Tuesday.

“It’s not a new injury, I think it’s in the same place it was probably last week,” Iraola said ahead of the Villarreal tie. “He hasn’t worsened the injury but probably we have to be a little bit more patient until he recovers fully. But it’s not like something now where he has to wait a lot of time to come back, he is more or less in the same situation he was last week.”

The Liverpool boss was careful to acknowledge Szoboszlai’s commitment in attempting to play through the issue. “I appreciate the effort he did the other day, to be available, to want to contribute in a very difficult game that you know is going to be very physical — one of the most physical teams, Brentford,” Iraola added.

Szoboszlai did not train on Thursday and is considered highly unlikely to be available for Liverpool’s Premier League fixture against Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday. Reports have also suggested he could miss the Carabao Cup tie against Chelsea and the subsequent Premier League match against Arsenal.

The 24-year-old has started six Premier League matches this season and came off the bench to score in the Carabao Cup third-round win over Tottenham Hotspur. He also featured and scored against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League league phase in September.

Liverpool’s injury concerns extend beyond Szoboszlai. Jeremie Frimpong is expected to be sidelined for around a month, while right-back Conor Bradley is reportedly nearing a return to partial training with a view to rejoining the squad before the end of the year.

Centre-back Geovanni Leoni and striker Hugo Ekitike face longer timelines. Teenager Leoni has yet to play in the Premier League after suffering an ACL injury on his Carabao Cup debut in September 2025, while Ekitike continues his recovery from a significant injury sustained earlier in the season.