Arne Slot has revealed when he expects Alexander Isak back with the Liverpool squad, as the £125 million striker heads into the final stages of his rehabilitation.
Alexander Isak Injury Return & Latest Update
The timeline:Arne Slot has confirmed that Alexander Isak is expected to return to the first-team squad in late March or early April.
The progress: The £125 million striker has been sidelined since December 20 with a broken leg but has recently stepped up his rehabilitation by working with the ball.
The warning: While Sweden hope to have him fit for their World Cup playoff against Ukraine on March 26, Slot warned it will take time to reach full match sharpness.
With Isak missing since breaking his leg in the 2-1 win at Tottenham on December 20, Liverpool have been noticeably light in their centre-forward options.
Hugo Ekitike has been outstanding for large parts of the season but it is clear that the Frenchman is still adjusting to the physical demands of the Premier League and would benefit from a rest.
When will Alexander Isak return from injury for Liverpool?
The sight of Isak working with the ball at the AXA Training Centre last week served as a major boost, and speaking in his press conference on Thursday, Slot confirmed the plan is for him to return in late March to early April.
“It will be somewhere around there,” he said when asked if Isak was likely to return for Sweden’s World Cup playoff against Ukraine on March 26.
“Then it’s the question of if things go really well or if he gets a little bit of a setback
“It will be around that period of time, end of March, start of April, where he’s hopefully back with the group.
“When you’re back with the group it’s not to say that you are ready to play, let alone start a game of football, because again he’s been out for months.
“The last time he was out for months I think we could all see it took him a while before he was the player we’ve signed from Newcastle.”
LEEDS, ENGLAND - Saturday, December 6, 2025: Liverpool's substitute Alexander Isak during the pre-match warm-up before the FA Premier League match between Leeds United FC and Liverpool FC at Elland Road. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
The timing of Isak’s latest blow was cruel, with the No. 9 injured while scoring as he finally began to show signs of hitting the levels expected when he joined from Newcastle in a British record deal.
Clearly Liverpool are unlikely to see the 26-year-old at his best now until next season, but Slot insisted he was still hopeful of seeing a “different player” upon his return in the late stages of this campaign.
“That’s going to give us a different player than we’ve had until now,” he said of Isak taking part in his first pre-season at Liverpool.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Wednesday, September 17, 2025: Liverpool's new signing Alexander Isak during the UEFA Champions League match between Liverpool FC and Atletico Madrid FC at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
“But we’re also expecting a different player in the end of the season than the one we had in the first part – which makes complete sense, because I’ve said it 100 times I think that we have to give him time.
“If a player has been out for four or five months only with individual training, you cannot expect that he’s up to speed straight away at the level we’re playing here.
“So unfortunately for him and for us we haven’t used the best Alex yet, but this club and our fans will see the best Alex hopefully this season but for sure in the upcoming years.”