Hungary leave Szoboszlai decision until late

That, from BBC Football’s report, is the news and also the tension. International sides do not talk like this when a player is comfortably ready. They talk like this when they intend to wait as long as they can before giving up an important option.

The limits of the information matter here. The BBC summary does not set out the nature of Szoboszlai’s fitness issue, so there is no sense in pretending this is a simple case of minor discomfort or an obvious absence. What Hungary have made clear is the decision itself: they are keeping the door open for the Liverpool midfielder for games against Georgia and Northern Ireland over the next week.

Competitively, that leaves Hungary balancing need against risk. A late decision can preserve a key player’s chance of involvement, but it also clouds preparation. Coaches like certainty; this is the opposite of it. If Szoboszlai is fit enough, Hungary keep one of their most influential midfielders in the frame. If he is not, they have spent part of the buildup living with a maybe.

Sometimes that is the whole international window in miniature: hold the squad together, wait on the body, and push the verdict as far down the line as you dare.