Liverpool fans may have been frustrated when £125m signing Alexander Isak didn’t feature against Burnley, but it’s becoming clear that Arne Slot had a bigger plan in mind.After a chaotic summer where Isak effectively forced his exit from Newcastle, the Swedish striker arrived at Anfield short on fitness. He skipped Newcastle’s pre-season tour, trained away from Eddie Howe’s squad, and hadn’t played a competitive match since May—aside from an 18-minute cameo for Sweden during the international break.Slot explained that Liverpool are carefully managing his return, ruling out quickfire cameos in favor of structured sessions to rebuild sharpness. The manager hinted that Isak could feature against Atletico Madrid in midweek, but stressed he won’t yet be ready to handle three matches in one week.📍 On Tuesday, the forward was spotted in full training at the AXA Training Centre. Surrounded by his new teammates, Isak looked relaxed and upbeat, even joking around with Mohamed Salah and Alexis Mac Allister as Slot’s squad prepared for their Champions League opener.Salah himself recently admitted that Liverpool’s attack still lacks fluency with its new signings, but the sight of him linking up with Isak in training will be encouraging for supporters. The Egyptian has two goals and one assist already this season, but the Reds haven’t quite clicked in attack despite their perfect league record.Liverpool may need Isak sooner rather than later. With Federico Chiesa unavailable for Champions League action after being excluded from the squad, Slot’s attacking options are stretched. Teenagers Rio Ngumoha and Jayden Danns are the only other backup choices to Salah, Hugo Ekitike, and Cody Gakpo.As a result, all eyes will be on whether Isak makes his long-awaited Liverpool debut against Diego Simeone’s notoriously stubborn Atletico side—a test that could quickly reveal just how important he will be to the Reds this season
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