Alexander Isak and Arne Slot send mixed messages on Liverpool striker’s fitness levels

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Given Isak was forced to train away from his team-mates over the summer at Newcastle United and didn’t have a proper pre-season, getting the Sweden star up to full speed has been among Slot’s chief priorities this month.

Isak started his second game for the club on Tuesday in the Carabao Cup win over Southampton, and netted his maiden Liverpool goal just before half-time.

In his first public interview since the transfer to Liverpool, the 25-year-old was asked how fit he currently feels.

“It was good to get some more minutes on the way to getting fit,” Isak told Sky Sports.

Isak scored his first-ever Liverpool goal on Tuesday

However, Slot seemed to slightly disagree with that assessment and said Isak will not be firing on all cylinders until after the October international break.

“He’s playing more and more,” the Liverpool head coach told Sky Sports

He is available for next week.

“He will make minutes there and then will go to the national team of Sweden where he can make minutes.



Then we will see the best of him.”

Speaking separately in his post-match press conference, Slot added: “We got him not in the best circumstances in terms of match fitness, so we have to build it up.

“The downside to that is that you cannot play a player 90 minutes and if you only play him 45 or 30 or again like today 45, it might then normally take a while before he scores his first goal because we can all understand if you play a player three times 90, it’s a bigger chance that he scores a goal than when you play him 45, 30, 45.”