Sweden manager drops Alexander Isak hint ahead of Liverpool debut | OneFootball

Isak fitness update offers Liverpool cautious hope

Liverpool supporters watching Sweden’s 2-2 draw with Slovenia on Friday night might have felt a flicker of unease. Alexander Isak, their club’s new record signing, stayed rooted to the bench. For a fanbase desperate to see how their £125m forward will transform the attack, his absence was conspicuous.

Yet there was a sense of deliberation rather than alarm. Sweden manager Jon Dahl Tomasson had made it clear in advance that he wouldn’t do anything “stupid” with the striker, who has endured months without competitive action. After the game, Tomasson explained his reasoning.

Tomasson balancing risk and reward

Isak, who admitted himself that his fitness still lags behind, was never likely to feature heavily so soon after swapping Newcastle for Liverpool. For Tomasson, the calculation is clear: protecting the player now offers a greater chance of his availability later in the campaign.

Photo: IMAGO

When asked about the possibility of using Isak in Sweden’s next fixture, the 49-year-old allowed a note of optimism:

Those words will resonate in Liverpool, where the striker is seen as central to the club’s ambitions of retaining their Premier League crown.

Patience required as Isak builds sharpness

The cautious approach suits both national and club interests. Isak could feature against Kosovo on Monday, but almost certainly from the bench. Liverpool face Burnley next weekend, and any minutes with Sweden will help edge the 25-year-old closer to match sharpness.

Journalist Lewis Steele has already suggested that Isak is likely to be eased in at Anfield, with the medical team mirroring Sweden’s restraint. That means Hugo Ekitike’s strong early-season form remains vital, buying the club time to integrate their new talisman gradually.

Liverpool’s long-term investment

For supporters, the urge to see Isak unleashed immediately is natural. But his extended absence over the summer demands a more tempered reintroduction. With nearly a full week at Liverpool’s AXA Training Centre after international duty, the forward will finally begin building rhythm with his teammates.

It is, for now, a waiting game. Caution may frustrate in the short term, but Liverpool know that Isak’s true value lies not in September minutes but in shaping the months that follow.