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Five days on from Liverpool’s record-breaking signing of Alexander Isak, and it’s understandable if the initial excitement has waned somewhat.
That’s unsurprising with the club game ceasing for a week over the international break. Other than keeping an eye on how Liverpool’s players fare with their various nations, there’s not a lot of news to keep supporters engaged.
But for Isak, his return to Sweden has underlined some of the initial challenges he will face at Anfield. It has nothing to do with handling the pressure of his £125 million ($169M) price tag, or Isak’s almost unrivalled ability to put the ball in the back of the net.
Instead, the brief Premier League hiatus has demonstrated just how far off match fitness Isak is.
Sweden boss Jon Dahl Tomasson admitted as much when the squad convened at the start of the week. He revealed his medical department and Liverpool's had been communicating while vowing to avoid any “stupid” risks with Isak.
The decision not to introduce the Liverpool forward off the bench against Slovenia on Friday, despite Sweden chasing a late goal, sends a clear message that Isak is a long way off full fitness.
“He had only done three training sessions with the team. No pre-season with the team and of course no playing time,” Tomasson told Viaplay after the 2-2 draw in Lubijana. “The risk is probably a bit too great to use him today.”
Perhaps the news shouldn’t come as a surprise. Isak has trained away from his Newcastle teammates for the majority of the summer, and individual sessions lack the intensity and match-like scenarios needed to generate proper fitness.
Therefore, Liverpool fans shouldn’t expect to see Isak in the starting line-up at Burnley in eight days’ time.
The 25-year-old had intimated that himself before jetting off on international duty. “I’ve had restricted training, so I think that’s one to judge and to analyse where I am at and how much I am ready to give. But I certainly want to play as soon as possible,” Isak told Liverpool’s media team as part of his transfer unveiling.
In reality, Liverpool won’t be overly concerned that its No. 9 will not be up to speed for next week. But there are bigger challenges on the horizon.
Three days after the Burnley encounter, the visit of Atletico Madrid will pose a serious test of Liverpool’s mettle, as will a Merseyside derby at the end of the week. FA Cup winner Crystal Palace, a trip to Turkey to face Galatasaray, and a meeting with in-form Chelsea follow before the October international break.
In fact, when the Reds return to action, they face a gruelling 21-day schedule in which they play seven games. Thankfully, Arne Slot doesn’t have many injuries to contend with, but he can’t afford too many star names to be unavailable.
There are alternatives to Isak, which again should lighten the stress somewhat. Hugo Ekitke has made an immediate start to life at Liverpool and doesn’t look set to drop out of the team any time soon.
Should he need to be rested or rotated, Florian Wirtz as a false No. 9 has also been mooted as a possibility by Slot. The Dutchman will also be wary of rushing Isak back too quickly and the striker potentially picking up an injury.
But make no mistake, he will want the former Newcastle attacker back up to full speed as soon as possible.
When could he make his full Liverpool debut? The Burnley, Atletico, and Everton games within a week of returning look unlikely, but the home Carabao Cup tie against Southampton on September 23 should offer a safe estimate.
After that, some caution will still be needed; Isak can’t suddenly start four games in a row. But by that stage, he should at least be in the conversation when it comes to choosing Liverpool’s XI.
That Isak has trained with Sweden this week and may feature in Monday’s game against Kosovo will help build up some level of fitness, but it may take until after the international break for Liverpool’s record signing to be back to his deadly best.
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