Liverpool manager Arne Slot has announced that Alexander Isak might make his highly anticipated debut in Wednesday’s Champions League match against Atletico Madrid.
Isak joined the Premier League champions in a British-record £125 million ($169 million) transfer from Newcastle on deadline day.
The 25-year-old did not feature in Sunday’s 1-0 victory at Burnley — Liverpool’s first match since his major transfer — as he is still not fully fit after missing much of the pre-season.
Isak trained alone to push through his transfer, requiring extra work to reach full fitness.
“Definitely a chance because he’s in the squad, so then there’s a chance to play. I would usually say 99.9 percent sure, but I can say 100 percent sure he will not play 90 minutes,”
Slot told reporters on Tuesday.
Asked about the possibility of Isak starting at Anfield, Slot said, “The only thing we’re sure of is he will not play 90 minutes. He’s part of the squad, so it’s already a Champions League game to look forward to, but if people look forward to his playing time, that could happen tomorrow as well.”
Isak’s goals helped Newcastle end their 56-year trophy drought when they defeated Liverpool in the League Cup final last season, and the Magpies also qualified for the Champions League largely due to the Swede’s prolific form.
However, his only appearance this season was an 18-minute substitute stint for Sweden in a 2-0 defeat against Kosovo on September 8.
Slot noted that getting fit is the striker’s biggest challenge.
“He doesn’t have to prove to anyone that he’s good enough to play in the Premier League because that’s what he’s proven already at Newcastle,” said the Dutchman. “So the main challenge he has is to become so fit that he’s first of all ready to do what he did last season.”
The attention will be on Isak, which could be beneficial for Liverpool playmaker Florian Wirtz.
Before Isak’s arrival, the German was briefly Liverpool’s club-record signing after his summer move from Bayer Leverkusen for an initial £100 million.
Wirtz has struggled to make an impact, leading to suggestions that the hefty price tag is affecting him.
Slot was quick to defend the 22-year-old, saying, “There’s so much focus on our new signings. He’s been part of a team that is on top of the league, that won four games. Yes, he hasn’t scored four goals or provided 12 assists in the first four games, but for me that’s due to the quality we’ve faced, and he’s part of a team that’s number one in the league at the moment.”
Liverpool’s off-season was overshadowed by the death of forward Diogo Jota in a car crash in July, a loss that Slot acknowledged had a profound impact on the club.
Yet despite that trauma and a significant rebuild costing nearly £450 million ($614 million), they are leading the Premier League with four wins in four games.
“It’s only a compliment that people tell everyone that we’ve spent so much because that tells you the players we’ve brought in are seen as very good players,” Slot said.
He added that the team were performing “far above” his expectations.
“For us to be on 12 points now is so much more than I expected, especially after we’ve had so many changes in the group as well,” he said.
(With AFP Inputs)
