Dominik Szoboszlai, who made a significant contribution to Liverpool during the initial half of this season, merits a vacation. Recent declines in the Austrian midfielder’s performances at Anfield have prompted apprehensions that he might require a brief period of rest in order to reestablish his fitness.

This season, Szoboszlai has accumulated fewer minutes played for the Reds than only Mohamed Salah. In the 2023/2024 season, the 23-year-old has appeared in 18 of Liverpool’s 19 matches, accumulating 1,314 minutes on the field.

These figures are notably elevated for an inexperienced player starting their inaugural campaign in the Premier League. A discernible contrast in intensity can be observed between English and German football, where Szoboszlai formerly played for Red Bull Leipzig; the midfielder has previously made reference to this.

“The intensity is crazy,” he said earlier this month. “You have to run a lot and not only a lot but fast. You have to defend too because you know that every time the opposition has a chance in this league, the quality is so high that they can score.”

Liverpool will likely rest Szboslai on the bench for Thursday’s Europa League match at LASK Linz, as he has not started any of the club’s previous four European contests. It might be prudent to grant Szoboslai a comparable absence from the starting lineup in the Premier League prior to a brace of relatively uncomplicated matches against Sheffield United and Fulham.

In any case, he will be crucial for the Reds in impending matchups against Manchester United, Newcastle, and Arsenal.