Liverpool's build-up to Manchester City was thrown off by a late fitness scare, with Dominik Szoboszlai ruled out of the Liverpool vs Manchester City clash because of a hamstring issue. Liverpool's pre-match nerves were lifted a little when Alexis Mac Allister later posted his usual matchday photo on Instagram Stories, after both players had not been spotted with the squad at the team hotel on Sunday morning.
Liverpool's late selection problem
The hotel footage was enough to spark concern, but it only amounted to that until the later post from Mac Allister steadied things. Szoboszlai's absence is the one confirmed blow, and it arrives with Liverpool already managing a heavily depleted group.
Hugo Ekitike, Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni remain absent, while Federico Chiesa could make the matchday squad for the first time this season after recovering from a lingering back complaint. Szoboszlai has made 5 Premier League appearances this season and logged 441 minutes, so this is not a minor absence for Liverpool, especially with kick-off set for 4:30pm BST and lineups due at 3:15pm.
City's own doubts
Manchester City also had a couple of fitness questions hanging over them. Erling Haaland was seen limping and asked to be substituted while playing for Norway last weekend, though he was not ruled out here, and Nico O'Reilly remains a doubt after the injury that curtailed his England involvement early.
City's side of the fitness picture is less dramatic than Liverpool's, but the uncertainty was real enough before a match that already carried weight in the league schedule. Liverpool needed their best available attacking options, and Szoboszlai's hamstring issue removed one of them before a ball had been kicked.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →
