Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai has revealed he wanted to play in Sunday’s Carabao Cup final win against Chelsea, but he was ruled out by the club’s medical staff.
Szoboszlai has missed much of the last two months with a hamstring injury, though he is nearing a return to action and came close to being passed fit for the final at Wembley.
The 23-year-old featured in the post-game celebrations following Virgil van Dijk’s extra-time winner, and speaking to Hungarian media, he revealed his frustration at not being able to play.
“They [the medical team] are careful with me,” Szoboszlai said. “If it would be up to me I would play. I hate it. I hate not playing. I had a lot of disagreements with the doctors.”
In his pre-match press conference, Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders admitted a decision would not be made on Szoboszlai – as well as Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez, who also missed out on the final – until the last possible moment.
“We come in a crazy schedule again, so we play every three days. It’s important for us to use each minute, use each day to really look how the players are. This is for Mo, Dom and Darwin,” Lijnders said.
“Two training sessions to go, let’s see how they are and then we can make a decision in the last minute.”
Speaking post-match, Jurgen Klopp reiterated that Szoboszlai was not fit to take part, though he was surprised that he and Nunez were able to join in the celebrations so vigorously.
“Darwin and Dom are not fit, that’s why they didn’t play, but in the celebrations they looked 100% so I will have to speak with the medical department about that!” Klopp said.
