Liverpool will be without Dominik Szoboszlai for their Premier League clash at home to Manchester City this afternoon.
Andoni Iraola confirmed on Friday that the Reds would be without Cody Gakpo and Alexander Isak for the match against Enzo Maresca’s side, and when the team news was confirmed 75 minutes before kick-off, there was another high-profile absentee.
Our number 8 started all four of Hungary’s matches during the extended international break, playing for all but 13 minutes across that quartet of games, but he won’t be involved for his club upon their return to action today.
Why is Szoboszlai not playing against Man City?
A couple of minutes after the team news was announced, The Athletic’s Liverpool correspondent James Pearce took to X to explain why Szoboszlai is absent today.
The journalist affirmed that the 25-year-old vice-captain misses out due to a hamstring problem, adding to an injury list which also includes Gakpo, Isak and longer-term absentees Hugo Ekitike, Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni.
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Liverpool’s task will be even harder without Szoboszlai
Taking on a Man City side who’ve started the season with a 100% record would be a hard enough task with a full squad available, never mind the absences of several likely starters.
The disappointment of losing Gakpo and Isak had barely started to sink in when the news of Szoboszlai’s body blow came through, and Liverpool are deprived of yet another key performer with a knack for producing the goods on the big occasion.
The Hungarian opened the scoring in this fixture last season and also netted in the 2-0 win at the Etihad Stadium in February 2025, and the energy that he provides from midfield will be sorely missed against Maresca’s team.
Ryan Gravenberch is the beneficiary of the 25-year-old missing out, and having been unconvincing of late, the Dutchman could do with a strong performance today to atone for his fellow midfielder’s enforced absence.
Fingers crossed that Szoboszlai will be able to return soon, with Liverpool facing eight more matches in the next four weeks, and two more in the coming seven days. His teammates will need to produce a massive performance without him and add to Man City’s woes in the wake of them being found guilty of numerous breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules.