Alexander Isak in 'perfect storm' after Arne Slot outlined next Liverpool steps

Hugo Ekitike would be within his rights to feel disappointed that his name wasn't on the Liverpool teamsheet against Nottingham Forest at the weekend, but there was a reason.

"I do know that a 100 percent fit Alexander Isak is a big, big, big plus for this team," Arne Slot had said ahead of the game. "For him to get there, he might need to have minutes where you could argue that another player might be further ahead of him in terms of match fitness."

Clearly, Ekitike is the man most deserving of the jersey at this moment in time. He would have been a more useful option for trying to get the three points, too, but Slot made his mind up, and it is true that he has to field his $169 million (£125 million) at some point.

"I had a conversation with the performance staff," Slot said. "'What is the best way for him — not for Liverpool — to get him as fast as we can to that 100 per cent?' I always have to find the balance between what is best for him as an individual and for us as a team."

It feels like a question that he will wrestle with over the course of the next few weeks. But assuming that Isak doesn't pick up another injury setback in the meantime, the Swede is going to get plenty of minutes in December as he seeks to build match sharpness.

"When we talk about pre-season, that forms a cornerstone for the subsequent eight or nine months," injury expert Ben Dinnery tells Liverpool.com.

"All the research suggests that the more you miss during that period, the more difficult it is to perform consistently, and the higher risk you are of picking up injuries.

"That is for your typical club, but with Liverpool, who are playing two or three games a week, those issues are exacerbated to a level where players are unable to undertake real high-level intensive training.

"Most of the time, they play, they recover, and they look at the tactical elements. It is maintenance on the physical end.

"You can be involved in training and in U21s games, but nothing is really going to compare to the physical demands on players in the Premier League.

"The difficulty is pushing a player to a level where they are able to progress and improve sharpness, but you are doing it in a way that will protect the player and not put them at risk of fatigue and injuries. At that point, you have to proceed with caution.

"Pressure is ramping up on Arne Slot and all the signings are in the media firing line. Liverpool are not hitting the levels of last season and that makes the perfect storm of a very difficult environment to work in."

For all that instant results are needed and Slot is under pressure to deliver them, he also has to think about the longer term. Even the second half of this season will go much better for the Liverpool boss if he can find a way of getting Isak firing.

"It's a chicken and egg scenario," Dinnery, speaking on behalf of Esports News, continued. "There is only so much you can do away from a Premier League game. You can work on the training pitch, but it is the reintegration into the first team regularly that is really where you will see Isak flourish.

"Certainly in the early part of the upcoming run of games, I'd be very surprised to see Isak in the starting XI week in, week out, playing 90 minutes. That would be foolhardy in terms of managing his load.

"The two major red flags with injury recurrence — Isak has had adductor issues and calf issues in the past — are injury history and fatigue. Those are the two biggest risk factors, and it's a very fine balance.

"We're talking ideal scenarios here, but Ekitike might be the man to lead the line with Isak gradually integrated with the odd start here and there.

"Maybe by mid-December, Isak is in a place to undertake a bit more exposure. But given what is happening around the club in terms of results, that is a difficult decision.

"It is similar with players who have been out long term, and they need to be reintegrated. The timeline varies from player to player and their status within the team.

"Isak is coming into a new environment at the same time as that, and it is a slightly different way of playing, with those partnerships and passages of play that need to be nurtured and grown over time.

"Those connections haven't been made yet, but that will come with more minutes and gameplay. Normally, it's about eight to 10 games where a player is able to tolerate the physical demands and psychologically as well."

However long it takes, Liverpool will aim to get the best out of Isak at some point. Like pretty much everything at Anfield right now, though, it is going to take patience.