‘Encouraging update’ – James Pearce brings major boost for Liverpool supporters ahead of Spurs showdown
James Pearce has delivered some encouraging news for Liverpool supporters ahead of Saturday’s Premier League showdown with Tottenham Hotspur. While the Reds enjoyed a hard-fought victory over Brighton last weekend, the mood was slightly dampened when Dominik Szoboszlai was forced off late on after suffering an awkward ankle injury from a heavy landing while avoiding a challenge from Kaoru Mitoma.
However, optimism has grown in recent days. Early assessments carried out in Hungary revealed no serious damage to the 25-year-old, and the outlook for the trip to north London has continued to improve.
Pearce shares positive injury updates
On Wednesday, The Athletic reported that Szoboszlai is hopeful of being declared fit for the Spurs clash, having reacted well to treatment since the incident. Pearce shared the report on X, describing the update as “positive news.”
Liverpool’s medical team will keep a close eye on the midfielder before making a final decision on Friday. Should Saturday come too soon, Szoboszlai is still expected to be available for Wolves’ visit to Anfield just after Christmas.
In other injury news, Joe Gomez is set to miss the Tottenham game due to a hamstring issue, though it’s believed to be relatively minor. Meanwhile, Jeremie Frimpong is close to returning to full training after spending the last two months on the sidelines.
Why Szoboszlai’s return would be crucial
Although there’s no official confirmation yet, Pearce’s update suggests Szoboszlai has a strong chance of being involved against Spurs. His availability could prove vital, especially with Mohamed Salah away at the Africa Cup of Nations and both Gomez and Frimpong unavailable. That situation could even see Szoboszlai cover at right-back if needed, though Conor Bradley has returned from suspension.
There is also a disciplinary concern on the horizon, with Szoboszlai just one yellow card away from a one-match ban. If he can avoid a booking in Liverpool’s next three league games, the suspension threshold will rise to ten cautions. That would mean even picking up his fifth yellow against Fulham on 4 January wouldn’t rule him out of the Arsenal clash four days later.
For now, the immediate focus is on Saturday, with hopes that Szoboszlai gets the all-clear and can make another telling impact against Spurs—perhaps even repeating his scoring contribution from last season’s memorable 6–3 win in north London.