I've got a sinking feeling Liverpool fans aren't going to see Alexander Isak for a long time - opinion

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Alexander Isak looks sure to miss his initial target of being back fit for Liverpool by the end of March.After breaking his leg against Tottenham in December, Isak was ruled out for around three months, meaning his return should be just a matter of days away.However, after Arne Slot gave a short and somewhat terse response to a question about the availability of his No. 9 on Friday, it looks likely that Isak‘s recovery will now run into April.

Unfortunately, with an international break also thrown into the mix, Liverpool fans may have to prepare for another month or so without their most deadly finisher.Isak running out of time for returnIsak’s arrival at Liverpool showcased that he is the kind of footballer who needs a little while to get up to speed following a period of inactivity. As he is still not training with the first-team, that means it could be any number of weeks before he eventually re-joins the group, and then even longer until he is back out on the pitch.READ MORE: Wayne Rooney suggests what may see Arne Slot bench Hugo Ekitike at LiverpoolPhoto by Izzy Poles – AMA/Getty ImagesLiverpool have badly missed Isak since his injury, with Slot’s forward line desperately short of options and goal-scoring threat.Even though his £125m move from Newcastle has been a disaster so far, having Isak back for the run-in could be vital to Liverpool challenging for both the Champions League and FA Cup.The 26-year-old will certainly miss Wednesday’s last-16 second-leg against Galatasaray, and if the Reds fail to overturn the 1-0 loss they recorded in Istanbul, Isak will not be able to help them in Europe.

But with quarter-finals of both competitions set to come in April, Liverpool fans should be sweating on the possibility of their record signing missing all of the action.Liverpool have to get Isak fit for April pushIt is understandable that Liverpool want to be cautious with Isak. Unfortunately, given where Slot has placed his recovery on Friday, it feels unlikely that that will be the case.Sweden manager Graham Potter previously claimed that Isak could be ready for the international break in two weeks’ time, but Slot’s latest update has made that feel somewhat unlikely as well.If he misses that, Isak could return for the City clash, but again, a sinking feeling is growing that it could be more like the middle of April or even later before we see the former Newcastle man again.