Image Credits: Imago Images
Liverpool manager Arne Slot has provided a positive injury update on Alexander Isak ahead of the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie against PSG.
Isak has been named in a 21-man Liverpool squad travelling to France, marking his first inclusion since fracturing his leg in December.
The Sweden striker returned to first-team training last Thursday but was left out of the squad for Saturday’s 4-0 FA Cup defeat to Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
Speaking ahead of that game, Slot said: “I was hoping the same [that Isak would be among the substitutes on Saturday], but you always do these things in co-operation with medical staff, performance staff and the player himself.
“We came to the conclusion that it was better for him to have a few more sessions than only one or two and then immediately jump into a game like this, where if you bring him in there might be extra-time. The situation is now that I hope – again I hope – that he will be available for Wednesday, but today came too early for him.”
The 26-year-old broke a leg while being challenged by Tottenham Hotspur’s Micky van de Ven just before Christmas and has been in recovery since.
Isak trained with the Liverpool squad on Tuesday ahead of their flight to Paris, putting him in line for a first-team return. He has made just 16 appearances for Liverpool, struggling with fitness issues and minor injuries before suffering a major setback in December.
Providing an update on Isak’s condition, Arne Slot said: “Close to a week of team sessions now, so he can play a part otherwise, I wouldn’t take him. We had talks with the player and the staff, so we thought we couldn’t get a performance out of him now, but not to start. Let’s be clear.”
Apart from the expected absences of Alisson Becker, Wataru Endo, Conor Bradley, and Giovanni Leoni, there are no other notable injury issues.
Alisson is targeting a return from his hamstring injury at the end of April, while Endo, Leoni, and Bradley continue to be sidelined with long-term injuries.
Liverpool head to the Parc des Princes looking to bounce back from Saturday’s heavy FA Cup defeat, with pressure mounting on under-fire manager Arne Slot.
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