Due to a hamstring injury, midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai was omitted from the Liverpool squad for the Carabao Cup final against Chelsea at Wembley on Sunday.
Dominik Szoboszlai disclosed a ‘disagreement’ with Liverpool’s medical team regarding his participation in the Carabao Cup final. The Hungarian midfielder was absent, along with 10 other Liverpool players, as Jürgen Klopp’s team secured victory over Chelsea in extra time at Wembley.
Szoboszlai has been sidelined since aggravating a hamstring injury during Liverpool’s 4-1 triumph over Chelsea at Anfield in late January.
The initial injury occurred in a match against Newcastle on January 1, causing him to miss several weeks. His recent setback compounds Klopp’s already existing challenges. Pep Lijnders, assistant manager for Liverpool, provided an update during a pre-match press conference on Friday.
He suggested that Szoboszlai, along with Mohamed Salah and Darwin Núñez, might return soon, but their progress was being evaluated daily. However, none of the three players were included in the squad, forcing Klopp to rely on several young players as the match progressed.
Szoboszlai joined the post-match celebrations at the final whistle, confidently walking onto the pitch unaided. In contrast, many teammates required crutches and wore protective boots and braces.
The 23-year-old admitted to conflicting with the Liverpool medical staff, expressing that had it been solely up to him, he would have taken the field against Chelsea.
He told Hungarian TV channel Match4: “They (medical team) are careful with me. If it would be up to me I would play. I hate not playing. I had a lot of disagreements with the doctors. I’m also looking to the future: I’d rather play another 20 games than get injured again now.”
Liverpool return to the field against Southampton on Wednesday evening, and Klopp acknowledged uncertainty regarding player availability following Ryan Gravenberch’s injury in the first half. Speaking in his press conference, Klopp stated (via Liverpool’s official website):
” I have no clue who can play on Wednesday because we had players on the pitch until the end of the game who had problems.”
Szoboszlai found himself amid familiar faces at Wembley, where Salah and Núñez also graced the stands alongside Trent Alexander-Arnold, Curtis Jones, and Joël Matip. Their absence necessitated Klopp’s reliance on the likes of Jayden Danns, Bobby Clark, and James McConnell during the match.
While Szoboszlai’s personal assessment of his fitness was one thing, the final verdict rested with Liverpool’s medical team. Given his prior hamstring aggravation, extra caution was undoubtedly exercised, a decision that proved prudent.
His availability for upcoming fixtures against Southampton and Nottingham Forest remains uncertain, as Liverpool contends with a shortage of available players.
In other Liverpool news, Jurgen Klopp Blown Away By Liverpool Youngster’s “Absolutely Insane” Performance vs Chelsea