Having missed out on a pre-season while Newcastle resisted his transfer, Alexander Isak is likely to take some time to build up match fitness and it could be as long as a month before the Reds’ British record signing is ready to show his best for his new club.
That doesn’t mean he won’t have a role to play, perhaps even starting this weekend when Premier League action returns following the September international break. But it’s likely his minutes will be limited and the common wisdom has him making
his debut off the bench.
“Of course,” Isak said when asked if he thinks he can play a part in Sunday’s game against Burnley. “I think that’s the ambition. However, I’ve had a tricky summer, I haven’t played any games and I’ve had restricted training, but I certainly want to play as soon as possible.”
Isak saw his first live action in recent months for Sweden on Monday when he came on as a second half substitute against Kosovo. That gave him 20 minutes in the legs, and a similar role against Burnley on the weekend might be the safest bet as he works to get up to speed.
On that front, Isak had his first training session as a Liverpool player today, and will spend the rest of the week getting to know his new teammates before Sunday and Burnley, with the Reds then playing Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday.
