The real reason why Alexander Isak was an unused substitute during Sweden's game vs Slovenia

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Alexander Isak has not had the international break he would have hoped for.For the majority of the Reds’ players, this pause in the season was essential to get some vital minutes under their belts and to take their minds off their poor form.This is exactly what Isak would have been hoping for as he has not played for Liverpool since limping off against Eintracht Frankfurt on October 22nd. Instead, he played just 28 minutes of their first game, before being an unused substitute against Slovenia, leaving many Liverpool fans worried about his fitness.The reason why he was left on the bench, though, has now been confirmed, with Reds fans able to breathe a sigh of relief despite it still being frustrating.Photo by Atila Altuntas/Anadolu via Getty ImagesAlexander Isak was left out to avoid suspensionIsak is certainly Sweden’s best player, so they will want to look after him as much as possible.They knew they could only qualify through the play-offs too, meaning this game did not fully matter, with their Nations League performance back in March getting them to this stage.So, all eyes will be on those games in the next international break, and with rules a little complex, one of Sweden’s coaches, Stefan Pettersson, admitted they did not risk him just in case.“We receive some supplementary letters from FIFA and UEFA about these things,” Pettersson said as per the Liverpool Echo.“I want to double check what it might say in them.

There is no panic about it now.READ MORE: Kostas Tsimikas may not be finished at Liverpool after what he’s just done Do you want Ibrahima Konate to sign a new contract and stay at Liverpool? Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images “That could be the case [that Isak and some Sweden players were at risk of suspension].

But it is clear that it can have an impact.Alexander Isak needs to get up to speedIsak has not played properly in a very long time, with the 28 minutes he got this week not enough to get him back up to speed.He will need to prove himself in training over the next few days, but due to his lack of game time, it is highly unlikely he will start against Nottingham Forest on Saturday. Hugo Ekitike also had a decent week with France and scored his first goal, meaning he will likely lead the line.With there not being another international break until March, this is a really important period for Isak and Liverpool, as they really need to get up and running.