When will Dominik Szoboszlai return? Liverpool star's recovery timeline revealed amid fears of serious injury

Szoboszlai exited Liverpool's victory over Brighton in the 83rd minute, having played the majority of the game at right-back after Joe Gomez had to be brought off himself in the first half.

Speaking after the game last weekend, manager Arne Slot revealed: "Dom, it was his ankle. It didn't look great when I just saw him. But he has unbelievable mentality so let's hope for the best."

On Gomez, the Dutchman added: "If I have a player who goes off with a muscle injury like Joe, that's normally not a positive thing. I would not expect him to be in the squad next week [at Tottenham Hotspur]. But sometimes you get a positive surprise.

"People now maybe understand a bit better why I was always so cautious not to play him so many games. I assume many people thought, 'If you have a defender, if you have a right full-back, why don't you play him?'"

Now, The Athletic report that a scan has come back with positive signs for Szoboszlai. The 25-year-old is not expected to be sidelined for a lengthy amount of time, which is great news for Slot given Liverpool face Tottenham, Wolves, Leeds, Fulham and Arsenal in quick succession over the next few weeks.

The Hungarian is said to have "responded well to treatment in recent days" and he is hoping to be back in time for the trip to north London on Saturday night. If he does not reach match fitness in time, it is expected that Szoboszlai will be ready in time for the visit of Wolves to Anfield the following week.

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Szoboszlai's absence against Tottenham would be a big blow for Liverpool given how exceptionally he has performed so far this season. Only captain Virgil van Dijk has played more minutes in the Premier League than Szoboszlai, who has also registered two goals and an assist in England's top flight. The former RB Leipzig star has also netted three times in the Champions League, including a late winner in the recent clash with Inter, alongside three more assists for his his team-mates.

He is, however, walking a disciplinary tightrope. He is only one yellow card away from hitting five bookings in the Premier League this term and needs to avoid picking up another one in the next three matches, otherwise the midfielder will be slapped with a one-game suspension.

If Szoboszlai were able to feature on Saturday, it would be a major boost for Slot, who is already without the likes of Cody Gakpo, Wataru Endo and Geovanni Leoni. Mohamed Salah has also said farewell for now after provoking a whole load of drama with his comments after the draw with Leeds, with the Egyptian jetting across the world to represent his country at the Africa Cup of Nations. Summer signing Jeremie Frimpong is also closing in on a return from injury, having stepped up the final stages of his rehabilitation programme, though whether he is involved against Spurs in any capacity remains to be seen.

Northern Ireland international Conor Bradley is set to feature at right-back after completing a one-game suspension, with Gomez's hamstring problem expected to rule him out of contention. However, the versatile defender is not expected to be sidelined for long. The Reds are seventh in the Premier League and hold a four-point lead over upcoming opponents Tottenham, who are 11th and most recently lost 3-0 to Nottingham Forest, seeing the pressure ramp up on manager Thomas Frank.