Empire of the Kop
·8 de septiembre de 2025
“We shouldn’t forget…” – Tomasson drops fresh Isak selection hint ahead of Kosovo v Sweden

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Yahoo sportsEmpire of the Kop
·8 de septiembre de 2025
Alexander Isak hasn’t played a competitive game of football in around three-and-a-half months, but that could potentially change tonight.
A week after becoming Liverpool’s club-record signing at £125m from Newcastle, the striker is with the Sweden squad for their latest 2026 World Cup qualifier away to Kosovo.
The 25-year-old played no part in his nation’s 2-2 draw in Slovenia on Friday, with Jon Dahl Tomasson insisting that it would’ve been too risky to play him because of his lack of game-time and training sessions.
However, the Sweden manager has appeared to hint that Isak might make a long-awaited comeback in tonight’s fixture in Pristina.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Tomasson explained (via SVT Sport): “The last game, I kept him on the bench for 90 minutes. If we were 1-1 then he would definitely have played minutes, but we were leading [Slovenia equalised in stoppage time].
“We shouldn’t forgot that Alex had only had three training [sessions] but now has had five. He hasn’t had a long pre-season so we are thinking about about the short-term and also the long-term, but he can definitely be a game-changer.”
(Photo by Timothy Rogers/Getty Images)
From Tomasson’s comments, it would appear that he’s looking at the possibility of giving Isak some minutes off the bench is needed but is unlikely to throw him in from the start.
If that does materialise, it’d be an ideal scenario for Liverpool, as it’d entail their new signing having some bit of game-time in his legs before next Sunday’s trip to Burnley without being overloaded by the Sweden camp, who to their credit have been managing his fitness with caution.
Considering that the 25-year-old hasn’t played competitively since May, it might take time for him to get back to an optimum level, so Reds fans would be advised to have patience with him until he’s fully up to speed.
Unfortunately, that courtesy mightn’t be afforded to Isak from a wider audience after the transfer fee that he commanded and the manner in which he left Newcastle.
Not that our new number 9 would let such naysayers bother him as he seeks to get back on the pitch for Sweden tonight and then make a quick impact whenever his Liverpool career is up and running.