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Liverpool fans will no doubt be counting down the days before the Reds are back in action, and they potentially get a first glimpse of their new $169 million striker.
The international break couldn’t have come at a more annoying time for supporters. Arne Slot’s side had just beaten their closest title challenger from last season to make it three wins out of three at the start of their defense, and after weeks of drama, Alexander Isak was finally a Liverpool player.
The joy of seeing him pulling on a red shirt for the first time though was tempered by the sight of him almost immediately heading for the airport to link up with his international teammates for the first of many tedious breaks in the domestic calendar this season.
An international break is rarely welcomed, but three games into a new campaign feels especially egregious. No sooner are Liverpool’s new signings beginning to gel, all momentum feels like it has been wiped out by them traveling to all corners of Europe.
On this one occasion, though, the international break might just have provided Slot with a boost.
Yes, the Liverpool boss might be watching on a little nervously later and hoping Ibrahima Konate, Dominik Szoboszlai and Milos Kerkez come through their latest games for their countries unscathed, and getting Alisson Becker and Alexis Mac Allister back later than everyone else is far from ideal.
But the break might have been just what the doctor ordered for the Reds’ newest addition. As much as fans would have liked to have seen Isak make his debut as early as possible, linking up with Sweden was perhaps the best thing that could have happened after his deadline-day transfer.
After all, this is a player who hadn’t played a single minute of competitive action before completing his move to Anfield, and having been forced to train alone back at Newcastle, he almost certainly would have been lagging behind the rest of his new teammates.
Just look at Federico Chiesa. Having arrived later in the summer from Juventus last year after being frozen out in Turin, it took a long, long time before the Italian was ready to play anything close to a meaningful role for the Reds.
And given his record-breaking fee, there would have been more pressure on Isak to be ready to perform almost immediately, which the striker seemed to acknowledge himself.
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"I've had a tricky summer where I haven’t played any games," Isak said when his transfer was confirmed on deadline day.
"I've had restricted training, so I think that’s one to judge and to analyze where I am at and how much I am ready to give. But I certainly want to play as soon as possible."
Perhaps then, linking up with Sweden came at the perfect time for him. Rather than having to take in his first proper session in weeks with players unfamiliar to him, he’s had the benefit of training alongside people he knows well, and Jon Dahl Tomasson has not tried to rush him back into action, instead just giving him around 20 minutes to ease him back into the fold against Kosovo on Monday.
Slot will no doubt be appreciative of that, and now the Liverpool boss can soon get to work with his new striker ahead of what could be his debut against Burnley on Sunday. Fans will be waiting with great anticipation.
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