Isak vs Ekitike: Slot's nice problem or looming issue?
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Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak were both on target as Liverpool edged Southampton in the Carabao Cup, so has head coach Arne Slot now been left with a potential headache up front, or is it actually a nice problem to have for the Dutchman?
Isak opened the scoring at Anfield on Tuesday night to get off the mark for Liverpool following the striker's British-record £125 million deadline day move from Newcastle United, while Ekitike replaced him at half-time and grabbed the winner to send the Reds through to the fourth round.
However, the France forward was then sent off after picking up a second yellow card for taking off his shirt in celebrating the late strike in front of the Kop and will now be suspended for Liverpool's Premier League clash with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday afternoon.
Ekitike's "stupid" sending-off, as Slot called it, has kicked the issue down the road of who will lead the line for the Liverpool head coach, at least for one game that is, but it will not go away.
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Throw in Isak and that problem gets bigger."
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If you can't, do it in a way that doesn't lead to a yellow card."
As for the player himself, he now misses out on a chance to build on his latest impressive goalscoring display - the striker has now contributed an impressive five goals and an assist in just eight games for his new side - at a time when Isak is still working his way back up to full fitness.
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Now he's not going to play and whether Isak is ready to play or not… Ekitike has let himself down."
Just how fit is Isak?
This would have been the burning question on every Liverpool supporter's lips in the immediate aftermath of Ekitike's red card against the Saints.
When the Sweden striker first teamed up with Liverpool, Slot was quick to emphasise the record signing had, in effect, arriving without a pre-season behind him.
"You have to give him a good base," said the Reds boss when explaining Isak's absence from the squad to face Burnley on September 14.
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Isak then played 58 minutes of Liverpool's 3-2 win against Atletico Madrid in last Wednesday's Champions League opener, although that workout meant he was unable to start the Merseyside derby three days later.
"Alex felt his body more than ever before after the 60 minutes he played," explained Slot, with the striker replacing Ekitike midway through the second half against Everton.
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But has a Mohamed Salah drop-off arrived earlier than anticipated?
The 33-year-old has provided a goal or assist in all but one of Liverpool's five Premier League games so far this season, the latest being his clipped pass to set up Ryan Gravenberch's superb opener in Saturday's 2-1 win over Everton.
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