Arne Slot believes Alexander Isak‘s “pre-season may be finished now” and he can be judged “in a fair way,” after the striker played 180 minutes in four days for Sweden.
Isak was managed carefully in his first weeks as a Liverpool player having not been involved in team training throughout July and August.
His minutes have gradually increased and the expectation was always that he would be up to speed after the October international break.
While it was an unfortunate one for Sweden, who lost to Switzerland and Kosovo to all but end their World Cup hopes and prompted Jon Dahl Tomasson to be sacked, it was a productive one in terms of Isak’s game time.
“I think now he’s had his five, six weeks of pre-season,” Slot told reporters on Friday, with his No. 9 having played 90 minutes in both of Sweden’s qualifiers.
“Which is normal for every player, especially if you’ve been out for three or four months.
“So fitness-wise I think he’s now close to the level he should be. And now I think we can judge him in a fair way from now on.”
The spotlight was on Isak during Sweden’s ill-fated break and he failed to score in either of their two games, which left him “f***ing dissatisfied.”
Meanwhile there were goals from Cody Gakpo (three), Mohamed Salah (two), Alexis Mac Allister (two), Virgil van Dijk (one) and Dominik Szoboszlai (one), with the squad’s time away considered a useful refresh.
“I know how this industry works. If he plays there twice and doesn’t score, then that’s not what you’re hoping for of course,” Slot said of Isak.
“You’re hoping if they go to the national team that they score goals, like Cody did, like Virgil did, like Dominik did, like Mac Allister did. Do I forget a few? Probably.
“He didn’t [score], but I think his pre-season may be finished now, he’s played a few games 70, 80, 90 minutes.
“So let’s see where he is in the upcoming weeks.”
Isak could start against Man United on Sunday but finds himself in direct competition with the in-form Hugo Ekitike, who claimed an assist on his first start for France and has already scored five times for Liverpool this season.
Slot is likely to make changes to the side that lost 2-1 at Chelsea last time out, with Florian Wirtz chief among those expected to come in.
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