Liverpool boss Arne Slot has stated that striker Alexander Isak remains doubtful for the weekend clash against Brentford after being taken off with a groin problem during their win over Eintracht Frankfurt.
The Swedish forward, who began alongside Hugo Ekitike in Wednesday’s match where the latter scored against his former club, was substituted at the interval at Deutsche Bank Park following discomfort in his groin.
Pressure is mounting on Slot to get the best out of the British-record signing, whose underwhelming start has produced just a single goal — in the Carabao Cup against Southampton.
Ahead of the fixture against Brentford, Slot offered an update on his team’s injury concerns, saying, ‘Alexander is not too bad. He is a question mark for the weekend, so we will see where he is,’ during his pre-match press conference.
Isak’s fitness setback arrives at a pivotal moment as he continues his search for a first Premier League goal since completing his transfer to Liverpool on deadline day.
His early spell at Anfield has been affected by limited pre-season training following his hectic summer departure from Newcastle United. So far, the 26-year-old has made eight appearances across all competitions, contributing one Carabao Cup goal and a single Premier League assist.
Doubt
When asked for an update on Jeremie Frimpong, who also sustained an injury in the clash with Frankfurt, Slot responded, ‘Jeremie Frimpong is not in a good place; he won’t play today, tomorrow or next week,’ before adding, ‘Hamstring injuries, so that is going to take a while.’
After four straight defeats in all competitions, Liverpool desperately needed a confidence-lifting result — and they delivered it emphatically on Wednesday with a 5-1 triumph over Eintracht Frankfurt in the UEFA Champions League.
The Reds, however, will look to end a troubling domestic away record, having lost their previous four Premier League away matches against London clubs.
They’ll aim to avoid a fifth consecutive defeat in the capital — a record they last experienced between March and November 1970 — when they make the trip to face Brentford in East London on Saturday.
Encouragingly, Liverpool boast a strong record against the Bees, winning each of their last five meetings. They’ve also found the net in all eight of their Premier League fixtures against Brentford — their second-best perfect scoring record against any side, behind Queens Park Rangers, against whom they’ve scored in all 14 encounters.