One insider has claimed that Alexander Isak could be back playing for Liverpool sooner than expected, but warned that his return to action mightn’t turbo-charge the Reds’ attack.
The Swedish striker has endured a frustrating time at Anfield since his £125m move from Newcastle four months ago, having to contend with fitness issues before seeing his momentum halted by a fractured fibula in the recent win over Tottenham Hotspur.
It had initially been feared that the 26-year-old may have suffered a suspected broken leg, and Arne Slot indicated that our number 9 had incurred a ‘long injury’ which’d rule him out for at least ‘a couple of months’.
Isak could return to action sooner than initially expected
Former Everton chief executive Keith Wyness has now claimed that Isak could be back sooner than that, although he’s warned Liverpool fans not to expect a sudden surge of goals from the forward due to the problems that he’s had over the past few months.
He told Football Insider: “With Isak, I heard four or six weeks, which for a broken leg seems a little bit short, but he’ll still be out of game-time. He hasn’t got going this whole season because of lack of game-time, so I think it’ll be very hard for him to make an impact this season.”
Isak may need time to get up to speed once he returns from injury
In the 24 hours or so after the Reds’ number 9 went off against Spurs, it seemed as though his season could’ve ground to a halt, so for Wyness to suggest that the striker could be back by early February would be remarkable if it were to materialise.
Realistically it’ll probably be March before we see him back in action, especially as Liverpool medical staff will likely advise caution with his usage given the fitness issues that he had earlier in the campaign.
Also, as the former Everton chief outlined, it could take time for Isak to regain momentum once he’s back from injury, so we may have to be patient with the 26-year-old once he’s cleared to return to the fold.
The deft finishes against West Ham and Spurs in the month before he was struck down had indicated that the £125m marksman was beginning to find his rhythm in a red shirt, so the body blow meted out by Micky van de Ven’s wild challenge came at a most inopportune time.
It’d be fantastic if the Swede is able to return within the next six weeks, but in reality it’ll likely be a bit longer before we see him back on the pitch. Whenever he is back, hopefully he can swiftly make up for lost time and ensure that this season hasn’t been a write-off for him.