Alexander Isak was named in his first matchday squad since the end of May, but he played no part for Sweden as it was “too big a risk” after a summer of training in isolation.
Liverpool’s new No. 9 last played a competitive match on the last day of the Premier League season with Newcastle, and was excluded from full training throughout the summer.
He was still called up to the Sweden squad to face Slovenia and Kosovo, with manager Jon Dahl Tomasson easing concerns by insisting “we’re not going to do anything stupid with him.”
With only three sessions under his belt before Friday night’s game, Isak was named on the bench and stayed there for the entirety of the 2-2 draw, with Tomasson saying the risk was “too great.”
“He had only done three training sessions with the team,” the Sweden manager told Viaplay, via Fotbollskanalen.
“No pre-season with the team and of course no playing time. The risk is probably a bit too great to use him.”
He reiterated his decision to various reporters on the night, explaining that, “We would have loved to put him in the team straight away.
“But after only three training sessions, no normal pre-season and no matches for three months, it’s too big a risk.”
Tomasson, though, hopes the 25-year-old can play a part in Monday’s game against Kosovo, saying: “Hopefully, hopefully. As a ‘game-changer’.”
The awareness of the need to ease Isak back into competitive action will be appreciated by Liverpool. Though it underlines he is unlikely to be up to speed for the trip to Burnley on September 14.
There will need to be an element of patience when it comes to Isak’s role for Arne Slot in the short term, but there is every confidence he can hit the ground running when the time comes.
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