‘We have a plan’ – Liverpool fans will be reassured by update from Sweden camp on Alexander Isak | OneFootball

Alexander Isak’s first match as a Liverpool player could take place more than a thousand miles away from Merseyside.

Reds fans will have to wait until at least the middle of September for their new £125m signing to make his debut for the club, although he might be in action for his country before the visit to Turf Moor on Sunday week.

The 25-year-old has been named in the Sweden squad as they begin their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign with a double header away to Slovenia and Kosovo over the coming week.

Image via Liverpool FC

Having not played or even trained with Newcastle since the end of last season, Isak has voiced concerns over trying to build up his fitness again in time for Liverpool’s visit to Burnley in 11 days’ time.

However, Sweden manager Jon Dahl Tomasson has offered assurances that the Reds’ new number 9 is being handled by care thanks to a joint effort between the medical staff at his club and his national team.

How much will Isak play during international break?

The 49-year-old said (via Fotboll Skanalen, translated from Swedish): “We will not do any stupid things with him. He has not had a pre-season with lots of training and matches. He cannot play 90 minutes. We have a plan. He is smiling and happy to be here.

“We always have very good communication with the clubs. I have spoken to their manager. Our doctor has spoken to their doctor. Our physio Ben [Rosen] has spoken to their physio.

“I am happy that the guy is here. It doesn’t matter where the players play as long as they play and that they are happy… and he is extremely happy.”

(Photo by Michael Campanella/Getty Images)

Isak could do with getting some minutes for Sweden this week

Isak hasn’t played a match of any description since Newcastle’s defeat to Everton on the final day of the 2024/25 Premier League, having not been in the Sweden squad in June and then playing no part in the Magpies’ pre-season fixtures or the start of the current campaign.

He’s therefore going into this international break very much undercooked and using a third of his country’s World Cup qualifying run as a window to build up his fitness before making his Liverpool debut.

The tug-of-war between clubs and national teams can sometimes be unsavoury as each tries to prioritise their own interests, but in this instance there appears to be a welcome synergy between the medical staff on Merseyside and with Sweden.

Fortunately, Tomasson can call upon a strong attack (including Viktor Gyokeres) to reduce the dependency on Isak to play more than he can handle at the moment, with the Dane striving to find the right balance between giving the 25-year-old some much-needed game-time and not overloading him.

All that Liverpool fans want is for their new number 9 to get through the international break unscathed and come back to England fully fit and ready to make an immediate impact for the Reds.