Liverpool are in good shape regarding any injury troubles as they head into Sunday’s Community Shield against Crystal Palace.
The Reds have become used to having a full squad available under Arne Slot and that is more or less the case as the new season gets underway.
Conor Bradley is still missing which will be a worry for Slot, while Joe Gomez will miss the Community Shield as well.
Other than that, the Liverpool squad is likely to be fully available for another trip to Wembley.
But while player fitness is always near the top of the agenda for Reds fans, the injury worries – or lack thereof – of a certain non-Liverpool player this summer have been creating plenty of headlines.
Alexander Isak officially did not travel for Newcastle’s pre-season tour of Asia having picked up a thigh injury. And as the season draws closer and Liverpool’s interest maintains, Toon boss Eddie Howe has given an update on Isak’s fitness.
Alexander Isak warms up ahead of Newcastle United's Premier League match against Everton at St James' Park.
Photo by Scott Llewellyn | MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
No injury worries for Alexander Isak
One of the biggest reservations Liverpool fans have over spending big money on Isak is his knack of picking up niggling injuries.
With claims that he has been recovering from a problem this summer, that seemed to underline the point.
MORE LIVERPOOL STORIES
However, there have been plenty of suggestions that Isak’s ‘injury’ is not a genuine problem, more simply a convenient excuse as to why the Swede is not playing in pre-season.
READ MORE: Liverpool considering Charlie Cresswell move as Giovanni Leoni urged to stay in Italy – Exclusive
And after Isak was left out of Newcastle’s friendly with Espanyol on Friday, Howe provided an update on his striker’s current fitness.
“He’s not not playing because of a fitness issue,” the manager confirmed. “His thigh injury has recovered. He’s got no fitness issues.”
Good news for Liverpool as Isak continues to push
On Friday, journalist Fabrizio Romano once again reiterated that Isak is continuing to inform Newcastle that he wants to join Liverpool.
The 25-year-old is even said to have turned down a new contract offer from the Magpies as recently as this week.
As a result, Isak being given a clean bill of health is potentially far more relevant to Liverpool than it is to Newcastle.
Clearly, the Sweden international is not going to be playing in the Reds’ Premier League opener against Bournemouth next Friday. But it is interesting that Liverpool’s second game of the campaign comes 10 days later at Newcastle.
As things stand, there may be a chance of Isak making his Reds debut at St James’ Park. What a story that could be. In the meantime, it seems the Magpies are trying their best to make sure that does not happen.