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Liverpool release Alexander Isak statement as £125m star forced to wait for debut

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Alexandr Isak is missing from the Liverpool squad at Burnley(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Liverpool hope to give Alexander Isak his Reds debut against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night after he was left out of the squad to face Burnley.

The Swedish forward became the most expensive player in British football history when he joined the Reds from Newcastle on transfer deadline day, but having gone on strike on Tyneside to force the move he has not partaken in any sort of meaningful pre-season.

Liverpool now hope to get the Swede up to speed ahead of the start of their Champions League campaign, and the club said on Sunday: "Liverpool are aiming for Alexander Isak to be ready to make his debut when they host Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night.



"The Sweden international, a deadline-day arrival at the Reds, has trained alongside his new teammates at the club this week."

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READ MORE:Why Alexander Isak is not in Liverpool squad vs Burnley after Arne Slot warningREAD MORE:Trent Alexander-Arnold told exactly where he stands as Real Madrid star is benched again

Reds boss Arne Slot told Sky Sports: “As everybody knew, he didn’t have any team training at Newcastle, then went to the national team [and] only played there for 15 to 20 minutes.

“We think, with a week where we play three games in seven days, this is the best lead-up for him to be available against Atletico Madrid.

“That’s always difficult to say [how quickly he will be] up to full speed.

What I can say is that normally in a pre-season, after one or two weeks you play your first 45 to 60 minutes, you build that up gradually.

Arne Slot hopes to call on Isak against Atletico Madrid(Image: SmartFrame/News Images)

“But that you do with proper training sessions during the week, and now we hardly have any proper training sessions with the team because we play, like I just said, three games in seven days.

“So, where would he be?

Second or third week of pre-season, I would say, so able to hopefully play during the week 45 minutes or more, but then two days later, as you know, we play Everton again.

“It’s going to be interesting for the performance staff, for us, to get the best out of him at the start but also to keep him available for the end.”

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