Arne Slot utters Alexander Isak hope with Liverpool set for massive boost

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Liverpool striker Alexander Isak should feature off the bench again this weekend as Arne Slot's side take on Fulham, with the Dutchman outlining his plan for the Swede

Arne Slot and Alexander Isak during Inter Milan vs Liverpool in the Champions League(Image: Emmanuele Ciancaglini/Ciancaphoto Studio/Getty Images)

Alexander Isak should be back at full tilt for Liverpool more quickly than when he missed pre-season and struggled to get up to speed at Anfield.

That is the belief of Arne Slot, who needs a boost from his $169 million (£125 million) striker in the final few matches of the season. Liverpool is in need of a few wins to secure Champions League soccer ahead of next year.

"That Alex is available for us again is vital, of course," Slot said in his pre-match press conference ahead of hosting Fulham on Saturday. "I said many times it was hard for us to convert chances into goals.

"He has been a goalscorer for his whole life. He did not get a chance against Paris, but in all the other games, we had chances.

"To have him back is really nice. It was only 15 minutes, but it is good to have him back, and hopefully we can progress his minutes.

"Hopefully he can grow to his form as soon as possible, but the last time, it took a while. That is normal, but now we are hoping that after the rehab period, we can bring him faster to the level we want him to be at."

Isak during his Liverpool return against Paris Saint-Germain(Image: Harry Langer/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)

Elsewhere, Alisson Becker is "working hard" behind the scenes to come back as soon as possible. He, though, will not be involved against Fulham.

Slot had previously ruled the Brazilian out of playing in the second leg against PSG too, with no exact timeline being placed on when Alisson can come back in for Giorgi Mamardashvili.

Giovanni Leoni, Wataru Endo and Conor Bradley remain out through long-term injuries.

But while there are no fresh concerns for Liverpool ahead of a huge game this weekend in the race for the top five spots, several players will need their minutes managed.

"Yesterday was a recovery day," Slot said. "Let's see where a few of our players are.

"I am not telling you for the first time, not all of our players are capable of playing three days later another intense game. So let's see what the line-up brings this time."

Jeremie Frimpong, who started as a wing-back in Paris, is likely in that category. Slot said last week that he struggled to play against Brighton before the international break a few days after starting against Galatasaray in Europe.