Dominik Szoboszlai will miss Liverpool’s clash with West Ham on Sunday having picked up a yellow card in the Boxing Day clash with Leicester.
Szoboszlai has earned a one-match domestic suspension after five bookings in this season’s Premier League.
The Hungarian was cautioned at Anfield following a tactical foul just three minutes after being introduced in the second half of the 3-1 win, meaning he will now sit out Sunday’s trip to West Ham.
It follows bookings against Brentford, Nottingham Forest, Chelsea and Tottenham and serves as a blow to Arne Slot‘s midfield options.
Going into Thursday, only five players had clocked more minutes on the pitch in all competitions than the No. 8.
In his absence Slot will likely opt to again start Curtis Jones as the most advanced midfielder – though Szoboszlai’s tireless performances will be missed after starting Thursday’s game on the bench.
Jones and Szoboszlai have been rotating throughout the season and there is no doubt the Scouser will welcome another appearance in the XI after scoring his third of the season against the Foxes.
Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch, Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo all headed into the Boxing Day clash at risk of suspension, knowing that one more booking in the run of games against Leicester, West Ham and Man United would earn a ban.
He is the second Liverpool player this season to reach the yellow card threshold following on from Alexis Mac Allister.
After the 19th league game of the season – for Liverpool, the visit of Man United on January 5 – the threshold for a yellow card suspension is extended to 10 bookings.
Any player booked 10 times in the first 32 games of the campaign will be banned for two games, whether or not they had already served a one-match suspension in the first half of the season.
Liverpool 3-1 Leicester
