Arne Slot has made it clear Alexander Isak will not return to Liverpool in time for the Champions League clash against Galatasaray. As the Reds prepare for their crucial round of 16 second-leg against the Turkish heavyweights, Isak was seen training on his own.
The £125million man has not featured for Liverpool since he broke his leg in the 2-1 away victory over Tottenham Hotspur just before Christmas. While Sweden manager Graham Potter has previously said Isak could return for his country's crucial World Cup qualifier match against Ukraine on March 26, Slot has been less optimistic.
The Reds boss made it clear Isak will not feature against Galatasaray tomorrow evening, nor will he play against Brighton & Hove Albion this weekend. However, it appears there could be eight matches Isak may feature in before the end of the campaign.
When asked if Isak may face Galatasaray, Slot simply commented, "Alex will not be available" without putting a time frame on his return. Before last weekend's draw against Tottenham, the Dutchman clarified a more detailed update on Isak's progress, including on whether he may link up with Sweden in the upcoming international break.
Slot said: "If you ask me now I would say I don’t expect [Isak to go on duty with Sweden]. But we are still one and a half weeks off, there is always co-operation between club and country but I don’t expect him to play for us before that.
"Again, I have to mess up the party again. Let’s say [he comes back] at the beginning of April. He has been out for three and a half months and not trained with the team for three and a half months.
"The last time he did that, it took him a while to get up to speed. I am really, really looking forward to having him back but don’t get the expectations again so high that the minute he is on the pitch, he is at the level of what we spent that money on."
With Sweden hopeful Isak can face the Ukrainians, it can be inferred Isak may be fit enough to feature in some capacity on April 4, when the Reds travel to the Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter-final. Slot reminded fans about how Isak needed several weeks to find his full fitness when his move from Newcastle was complete.
At the time, Isak arrived having not had a proper pre-season, due to the Magpies forcing him to train alone after he went on strike to force his move to Anfield through. With this in mind, it's likely Isak, if Slot chooses to use him, would feature against Pep Guardiola's side from the bench.
Liverpool will then host Fulham on April 11, before travelling to Hill Dickinson Stadium to take on Everton in the Merseyside Derby. Slot will likely want a fully fit Isak for the latter, so it's possible the ex-Real Sociedad man may be used sparingly against the Cottagers.
With Liverpool in a tight race for the Champions League spots, the final six Premier League fixtures will be Crystal Palace at home on April 25, Manchester United at Old Trafford on May 2, Chelsea at Anfield on May 9, Aston Villa away on May 17 and Brentford at home on May 24.
There may also be more FA Cup and Champions League fixtures during that period, depending on Liverpool's results against Galatasaray and City.
Liverpool have reached the UEFA Champions League round of 16 where they face Galatasaray on March 18. Fans can watch the game on the TNT Sports Prime Video channel.
