Liverpool handed Alexander Isak boost before Manchester United clash after new Arne Slot claim | OneFootball

Reds’ record signing hunting first Premier League goal for new club after building up fitness

Arne Slot has confirmed that Alexander Isak is now “close” to full fitness in a key boost for underperforming Liverpool.

The Reds’ British record signing has been brought along slowly since completing a £125million transfer to Anfield on Deadline Day, having not been playing at all at Newcastle or training with the first-team squad as he sought to force through an exit.

A lack of a proper pre-season and any previous match action this term left Isak a long way short of fitness following his high-profile move to Merseyside, but he has been steadily ramping up over recent weeks, mixing starts with substitute cameos.

The 26-year-old started twice for Sweden during the international break and played the full 90 minutes in both World Cup qualifiers against Switzerland and Kosovo, partnering Arsenal’s Viktor Gyokeres up front for a pair of damaging defeats that led to the dismissal of manager Jon Dahl Tomasson.

Now Slot believes that Isak is at the end of his own individual pre-season and close to where he should be in terms of fitness, as he targets a first Premier League goal for his new club in their clash with rivals Manchester United at Anfield on Sunday.

"I think now he has had his five, six weeks of pre-season which is normal for every player, especially if you have been out for three or four months," Slot said of Isak at his pre-match press conference on Friday.

"Fitness-wise he is close to the level he should be and we can judge him in a fair way from now on.

"I know how this industry works, if he plays there (Sweden) twice and doesn't score that's not what you're hoping for, of course.

"You are hoping if they go to the national team they score goals like Cody (Gakpo) did, like Virgil (van Dijk) did, like Dominik (Szoboszlai) did, like (Alexis) Mac Allister did but he didn't.

"His pre-season has maybe finished now, he has played a few games 70, 80, 90 minutes so let's see where he is in the upcoming weeks."

Slot confirmed that Ibrahima Konate and Ryan Gravenberch were both fit to face United after respective injury scares, but goalkeeper Alisson Becker remains out with a hamstring issue.