Liverpool have been without Alexander Isak since he picked up an injury in December but Arne Slot is confident he will return a player reborn once he's back to full fitness
Arne Slot remains confident that Alexander Isak will come good
Arne Slot remains confident that Alexander Isak will come good
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Arne Slot is adamant Liverpool will see the best of Alexander Isak next season and expects to have the Swede back on the pitch towards the end of March.
Isak became the British-record transfer in the summer when he joined from Newcastle on deadline day, but has massively underwhelmed so far. Part of that is owing to his lack of pre-season after being frozen out by the Magpies during the summer-long saga.
The 26-year-old has only scored three times in 16 outings for the Reds, and was hit with a fresh setback when he was injured in the win at Tottenham in December.
It has left Slot without his biggest investment, albeit Isak was presenting selection issues when fit as Liverpool attempted to find roles for all of their summer arrivals. But the Swede continues to make forward strides with his head coach confident that he'll return to top form.
He said on his return: "It's not before they go on the pitch they are in bed 24 hours a day. But it's nice for him to go on the pitch and nice to see him there. You do know you're in your final stages of rehab. Next step is of course doing work with the ball and then going into the group and it takes a while before you're ready to play. It's nice that rehab has gone well, compliment to him and our medical staff."
When quizzed on the prospect of a proper pre-season the Liverpool boss added: "It will give us a different player to we had now but we're expecting a different player at the end of this season compared to what he has done up to now. Unfortunately for him and us we haven't seen the best Alex. We will next season."
Isak had been one of the Premier League's most impressive forwards, scoring 62 times across his three seasons with Newcastle. That form has eluded him at Anfield and Slot claimed he didn't want to "put a timescale on it (his return) but it's clear he will be available if things go as planned this season."
LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 20: Alexander Isak of Liverpool leaves the game injured during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on December 20, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
Alexander Isak has been sidelined since December(Image: Marc Atkins, Getty Images)
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Pressed on a date he added: "It will be somewhere around the international break, depends on if he gets a setback. End of March, start of April when he's back with the group. Doesn't mean he's ready to start playing straight away."
Isak struggled to have the same impact he'd had at St James' Park prior to his injury. Coupled with that was the form of fellow summer signing Hugo Ekitike, another man who can lead the line. The Frenchman remains the team's top scorer but he had found himself on the bench on occasion with Isak preferred in the starting XI.
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