Dominik Szoboszlai, one of Liverpool’s absolute bedrock players for the past two seasons, had to leave the field early in their mid-October win over Brentford, and it’s looking like a brutal recurrence of his hamstring injury. This isn’t just a minor knock either, Reds fans. This dude is critical, and his health is paramount if Liverpool wants to push through the 2026/27 campaign. With him potentially facing another spell on the sidelines, Liverpool’s midfield is suddenly looking thinner than a fresh coat of paint.
Another Hamstring Scare Leaves Liverpool Scrambling
This isn’t Szoboszlai’s first rodeo with this hamstring issue. In Liverpool’s come-from-behind 2-1 victory against Brentford, he was forced off after a mere 32 minutes, clearly signaling he couldn’t go on and was replaced by Trey Nyoni. It turns out, he wasn’t even fully fit when he returned from the lengthy fall international break, according to Andoni Iraola. Because of that, he already missed a Premier League game on October 11 and a Champions League clash against LASK in Austria a few days later.
Iraola didn’t mince words, saying, “He came [back to the club] with an overload. He felt a tight hamstring. He’s tried somehow, kind of pushing through training, but he was not feeling 100 per cent, and we will have to wait for Dom, yes.” While he was a doubt for the October 17 Brentford game, he passed fit and started. Thirty-two minutes later, boom. This just screams that the workload has been too much, and pushing him when he wasn’t 100 per cent might have just backfired hard.
The Numbers That Tell The Ugly Story
If you want to understand why Szoboszlai might be breaking down, just look at the numbers. The minutes this guy has clocked for both club and country since joining Liverpool in summer 2023 are absolutely insane, and the speculation is that this is exactly what’s causing these injury woes. During the 2025/26 campaign alone, Szoboszlai played a staggering 5,976 minutes across all competitions, a career high for the 25-year-old. Think about that: almost 6,000 minutes in one season!
He featured in 36 of 38 Premier League matches, starting every single one, totaling 3,233 minutes. Add in 360 minutes in the FA Cup, a massive 1,053 minutes in the Champions League, 90 in the Community Shield, and another 1,066 minutes rocking it for his national team. Since arriving at Liverpool, he’s piled up a mind-boggling 14,761 minutes over his first three full seasons. And it’s not just the sheer quantity. According to FotMob, Szoboszlai completed the third-most sprints of any Premier League player in 2025/26, with 618 total sprints, averaging 17.2 every 90 minutes. Only Adrien Truffert and Igor Thiago beat him out. That combo of heavy minutes and relentless, high-intensity sprinting is a recipe for disaster when you’re already feeling a tight hamstring.
So, what’s next? Liverpool is now without one of their most vital midfielders for an unknown amount of time, right when they need to push forward in the 2026/27 campaign. The Reds will be desperate to get him healthy, but they’ve got to be smarter about his minutes. This could be a long few weeks, maybe even months, with him nursing this recurring muscle problem. Keep an eye on that midfield, folks.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
Leave a Reply