Liverpool May Pick Alexander Isak Ahead Of Fitter Players, Admits Slot

Arne Slot has said he whitethorn commencement ­Alexander Isak up of fitter ­Liverpool strikers to springiness nan £125m signing nan crippled clip needed to recapture his Newcastle form.

Isak could make his first Liverpool quality successful a period astatine location to ­Nottingham Forest connected Saturday having recovered from nan groin wounded sustained astatine Eintracht Frankfurt connected 22 October. Slot had hoped nan 26-year-old’s lucifer fittingness would amended during nan world break, but he played only 28 minutes of Sweden’s conclusion by Switzerland earlier sitting retired their crippled against Slovenia to debar nan consequence of being suspended for adjacent year’s World Cup playoff.

Slot has respective fittingness issues and expects to beryllium without right-backs Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong for respective weeks. Florian Wirtz will besides beryllium absent against Forest having sustained a musculus problem with Germany.

Getting Isak up to velocity aft an underwhelming commencement to his Liverpool profession remains a privilege and Slot admits he whitethorn person nary replacement but to prime nan club-record ­signing complete fitter options specified arsenic Hugo Ekitiké.

“This squad tin and will play overmuch amended if you springiness them a small spot much time,” nan caput coach said. “We tin amended arsenic a squad and we will amended decidedly arsenic individuals because players will beryllium adapted to nan convention overmuch better. Alex will extremity up being nan subordinate he was astatine Newcastle if we get him fit. That will return a small spot of time.”

Slot added: “This greeting I had a speech pinch nan capacity unit astir what is nan champion measurement for Alex – not for Liverpool – to get him arsenic accelerated arsenic we tin to 100%. I ever person to find nan equilibrium betwixt what is nan champion for him arsenic an individual and for america arsenic a team.

“I do cognize that a 100% fresh Alexander Isak is simply a big, big, large positive for this team. But for him to get location he mightiness request to person minutes wherever you could reason that different subordinate mightiness beryllium further up of him successful position of lucifer fitness.”

Bradley is facing astatine slightest 3 weeks retired having being injured successful Northern Ireland’s triumph complete ­Luxembourg connected Monday. Liverpool play 7 games successful 22 days from Saturday and are apt to beryllium stretched astatine right-back passim that period.

“I don’t expect Conor to beryllium portion of nan adjacent 22 days, possibly astatine nan extremity of nan 22 days if a occurrence happens,” Slot said. “Florian shouldn’t beryllium that long. Jeremie is astir apt not going to beryllium disposable for nan upcoming 2 aliases 3 weeks arsenic well. It’s going to beryllium absorbing who you spot arsenic a correct full-back.

“Curtis Jones played location past season. Joe Gomez has played location arsenic good but Joe has played, I deliberation I’m correct, 90 minutes doubly passim nan full of this year. If we want to support him disposable longer it is possibly a consequence to play him 7 times successful 22 days. The bully point is we person capable bully players disposable and possibly 1 aliases 2 of them will person to play successful positions they usually don’t.”