Liverpool star Dominik Szoboszlai is an injury doubt once again this season after he picked up a knock against Crystal Palace, which could see him miss out on national team action with Hungary
Dominik Szoboszlai has been struggling with an injury in recent weeks
Dominik Szoboszlai has been struggling with an injury in recent weeks(Image: (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images))
Former Hungary captain Janos Csank has revealed his anger at Andoni Iraola for not bringing Dominik Szoboszlai off the pitch quicker in Liverpool's win over Crystal Palace, as concerns over the midfielder's fitness have emerged again.
The playmaker has missed weeks so far this season due to injury issues, which began at the end of the last international break. Szoboszlai returned from duty with Hungary carrying a slight hamstring problem, which required him to sit out a handful of matches.
While there was hope that the 26-year-old could return against Brentford during that run, his match was cut short with the same hamstring issue flaring up once again. That led to another spell on the sidelines until the midfielder was deemed fit enough to feature again, which he did over the weekend against Crystal Palace.
Midway through the clash at Selhurst Park, Szoboszlai appeared to suffer from a knee problem, coming back out for the second half with plenty of strapping around his right leg. He couldn't last the whole match, coming off with Iraola later admitting that the star's knee wasn't in perfect condition.
That has put Szoboszlai at risk of missing his nation's international break matches, with key UEFA Nations League fixtures against Georgia and Northern Ireland ahead.
The national team revealed that there would be tests and scans for the knee issue to assess the extent of the problem, while the captain has yet to feature in training with the team since joining up with the rest of the squad.
While that has been a feature of Szoboszlai's season so far, for former captain Csank, some blame rests with Iraola and his treatment of the star in the recent win over Crystal Palace.
Dominik Szoboszlai
Dominik Szoboszlai is with the Hungary squad for the upcoming Nations League double-header(Image: Alex Broadway, Getty Images)
Speaking to Hungarian outlet Blikk, he said: "I was really annoyed. Szoboszlai went down on the pitch in the first half, and at half-time I was certain he wouldn’t come back on for the second half. Then I saw him standing there on the pitch, with black tape on his leg, his knee.
"Then the manager starts sobbing that he is injured. He should have been substituted straight away, they were leading 1–0. Half-time comes, and then he sends him back on injured, with his knee bandaged?! I’m losing my mind, I just don’t get it!
"He considers him the most valuable, and when they’re leading like this, he leaves him on the field injured. If he had to be bandaged so much, that leg must not have been healthy."
It's a moment that could leave Hungary frustrated over the next week or so, with those important matches coming up, but it will leave Liverpool equally concerned too.
The treatment of Szoboszlai hasn't been unique to the Reds, with the midfielder returning from the last international break with a hamstring issue from an overload of minutes. However, Iraola had to get on with managing around that, without any grievances.
Now both parties will be sweating on his fitness, as the wait for his results and a potential return date drags on.