Alexander Isak Can Still Rescue Liverpool Season – And One Player is Proof

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has delivered optimistic news on star striker Alexander Isak's injury recovery, insisting the £125 million signing from Newcastle can still turn the club's faltering 2025-26 season around. Speaking ahead of Liverpool's Premier League clash at Nottingham Forest, Slot revealed Isak could return to team training around the end of March or early April, potentially in time for the run-in.[1][2]

Isak, 26, endured a nightmare start at Anfield after his British record summer transfer. Without a pre-season, he struggled for fitness and form, managing just three goals in 16 appearances across all competitions – two in 10 Premier League games. His Anfield arrival coincided with a slump, as the defending champions lost four of their first five matches featuring the Swede.[1][3][5]

Disaster struck on December 20 during a 2-1 win at Tottenham, where Isak suffered a fractured fibula and ankle in a tackle by Micky van de Ven while scoring. Surgery followed two days later, sidelining him for over two months.[2][3]

Recent progress is encouraging: Isak has returned to the pitch in running shoes for the first time this week, entering rehab's final stages. Slot cautioned, "It will be somewhere around the international break... end of March, start of April when he’s back with the group," but stressed no instant match fitness.[1][2][4]

Currently sixth in the Premier League, 16 points behind leaders Arsenal, Liverpool eye a top-five finish for Champions League qualification – fifth-placed Chelsea just two points ahead. Slot believes fans will see the "best Alex" late-season, citing a full pre-season next year for further improvement. He compared Isak to another high-profile signing who proved transformative, hinting one unnamed player as proof big-money arrivals can rescue campaigns.[1][2][5]

"We expect a different player from the end of the season," Slot added, fueling hope Isak reignites Liverpool's title defense.[2][5]

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