Alexander Isak had responded to the suggestion Liverpool gave an instruction to Sweden over his role in the country's World Cup qualifiers against Slovenia and Kosovo
Alexander Isak on Sweden duty
Alexander Isak has addressed his brief cameo for Sweden in World Cup qualifying
Alexander Isak has responded to suggestions Liverpool had an agreement with Sweden to limit his playing time during World Cup qualifiers. Following his drawn-out £125million move from Newcastle United, Isak immediately joined Jon Dahl Tomasson's squad for their matches against Slovenia and Kosovo.
Considering his recent lack of match action, it wasn't anticipated that Isak would start the Group B games. He remained on the bench for the 2-2 draw in Slovenia and only played for 18 minutes in Kosovo, where he was met with boos from the home crowd on a nightmare return to action.
That was despite Sweden being 2-0 down at half-time, with Tomasson's decision not to bring Isak on earlier in the game raising questions. Speaking on Viaplay, journalist and pundit Erik Niva expressed his frustration, saying: "If Alexander Isak is not going to be used now, when is he going to be used?
"We need him. We need everything we can ever find as quickly as possible, and Alexander Isak is one of the best players in the world."
Isak eventually replaced Newcastle forward Anthony Elanga in the 72nd minute, but couldn't change the outcome as Sweden lost 2-0, putting their chances of qualifying for next summer's tournament in jeopardy.
Niva suggested that Liverpool had stipulated Isak could play no more than 20 minutes, although he admitted: "That is speculation on my part and I don't know."
Alexander Isak of Sweden
Isak spent most of his time on the bench during Sweden's World Cup double-header
When quizzed about the 20-minute claim after the match, Isak dismissed it, saying: "Not that I know of. I'm with the national team now. Clubs and national teams have contact but it's between them in such cases." He also commented: "It's hard to know exactly how many minutes are right."
But Tomasson hinted at his limitations regarding Isak, telling Viaplay: "That was the maximum number of minutes I could give him."
His lack of clarity on the issue drew criticism, with Evin remarking: "Now it just became bad for all parties involved. Jon Dahl Tomasson might have needed to be clearer from the beginning in explaining what was involved. My impression is that Liverpool had ordered a maximum of 20 minutes, absolutely no more."
Fellow pundit and ex-Arsenal star, Freddie Ljungberg, agreed. He said: "That's what it sounded like. He said he played what he could."
Meanwhile, post-match, Isak addressed his contentious exit from Newcastle, insisting: "Not everyone has the whole picture."
Jon Dahl Tomasson
Jon Dahl Tomasson has suggested he could only play Isak for a certain number of minutes
He added: "I can't control everything that is said or written but I'm glad I became a Liverpool player. That's what I wanted and I'm happy about that.
"There is a lot to discuss, and it can be discussed for a long time. It has been educational, and I'm happy with the final result. I'm happy and proud to be a Liverpool player.
"I don't want to go into details or talk about that situation too much. It is a closed chapter, but I have never had any problems. It's been a fairly new situation for me, but you always learn and develop mentally off the pitch too."
Isak could make his first appearance for Liverpool in the Premier League at Burnley on Sunday. Meanwhile, Sweden will be banking on him to play a pivotal role in next month's crucial qualifiers against Switzerland and Kosovo.
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