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Alexander Isak could be set to make his Liverpool debut this weekend as the Reds head to Premier League team Burnley, but former manager Eddie Howe has issued a cautionary note about the striker.
The Swedish player departed Newcastle on transfer deadline day, concluding a saga that lasted all summer. The 25-year-old made his first appearance since the last day of the previous season during the September international break, coming on as a substitute for the final 18 minutes in Sweden's 2-0 defeat to Kosovo.
Isak, who was keen to leave Newcastle over the summer, missed the club's preseason game against Celtic and also opted out of a tour. Upon the Magpies' return to Tyneside, he trained separately from the rest of the squad, having previously trained individually at his old club, Real Sociedad, while his teammates were in Asia.
According to The Chronicle, there were concerns among Newcastle staff about Isak's fitness levels, but they had devised a plan for the forward should he have stayed at St. James' Park.
They anticipated that it would take him until after the October international break to regain his top form.
In quotes not previously released, Howe, speaking just before Isak's move to Liverpool, confessed that the forward's lack of match fitness was a worry.
"Alex had been working individually with our sports science department and they have been getting him fit," he said. "But in terms of how match fit he is, and what he's actually done, it is difficult to judge.
"Match fitness is very different. That (how long he plays for) is for Alex and (Sweden manager) Jon Dahl Tomasson to decide."
Howe's comments cast doubt over whether Isak will actually make his debut against Burnley on Sunday.
It seems unlikely Isak will start at Turf Moor - considering Arne Slot has an in-form Hugo Ekitike at his disposal for that No. 9 role - but Liverpool fans would love to see Isak come off the bench during the closing stages of the game.
Tomasson would subsequently disclose that he had no intention to "do stupid things" with Isak following his fragmented preseason preparations.
Meanwhile, the forward himself acknowledged after sealing his switch to Liverpool that it would require time for him to return to peak condition.
"Yeah, of course," Isak replied when questioned by club media if he's targeting Liverpool's fixture against Burnley on 14 September as his debut in red. "I think that's the ambition.
"However, I've had a tricky summer where I haven't played any games and 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."
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