- Isak makes first comment after return from injury
- Arne Slot chalks out plan for Swede
- Sends message to Hugo Ekitike
Alexander Isak opens up on his “difficult” 16-week injury battle as he prepares for a historic first Merseyside Derby. With Hugo Ekitike out, the Swede reveals his hard work to return and his mission to lead the Reds’ attack at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Alexander Isak made his return to the pitch earlier this week after starting in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals against Paris Saint-Germain.
The striker played just the first 45 minutes of the match, a plan executed by Arne Slot to avoid forcing the Swede to play longer if the game went to extra time.
The road to recovery has been an arduous one for Alexander Isak, whose debut season on Merseyside was cruelly interrupted just as he was finding his clinical edge. The Swedish international sustained a devastating broken leg during Liverpool’s 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in December 2025, an injury that immediately made his luck in Red even worse.
The fracture sidelined the former Newcastle talisman for approximately 16 weeks, forcing him to watch from the stands for four months as the Reds navigated a grueling winter schedule and a domestic dip in form.
Now, having finally made his long-awaited return to the pitch in the midweek Champions League clash against PSG, Isak faces the ultimate test as he could be potentially preparing to lead the line in his first-ever Merseyside Derby.
The former Newcastle United star has now opened up about his injury in a conversation with the club website, admitting that he had a tough time with the injury. He is delighted to have made his comeback and said:
“Obviously, I was out for a long time and I’ve been working hard to get back. Very happy to be back out there. It’s never easy being out for a long time. But I feel like I’m getting there and hopefully we can get the results as well.”
“That’s pretty much every rehab – some are a bit more complicated than others. But it was a difficult injury, and it took a lot of hard work and long days to get here.”
Isak was out for around 16 weeks after he broke his leg during the win over Tottenham in December. He will now be leading the attack for the Reds for the rest of the season, with Hugo Ekitike out injured.
The Swede sent a message to the Frenchman, saying that the team is behind him and ready to support him in very way.
“Obviously we’re all gutted for that injury,” Isak continued. “It’s very unfortunate for him and for the team as well. We’re all behind him, supporting him.”
Slot will not push Isak in every game
Arne Slot has admitted that Isak will have to lead the attack for Liverpool for the rest of the season, but he has no plans to push the striker beyond limits. He said the plan will not change regarding the Swede, as he does not want his star player to pick up another injury.
The Dutchman joked that it was a ‘smart decision’ to sign two strikers in the summer, though many questioned the club’s plans. He said:
“First of all, it’s at least a good thing we’ve signed two No.9s because there were a lot of people who were debating why we signed two No.9s. We thought maybe it’s a smart idea not to be the only club in the world that only has one No.9, so that’s why we signed two. Now all of a sudden, that looks maybe quite good and maybe, maybe – I don’t know – people are questioning now if we should sign in the summer another No.9.”
Talking about Isak and why he will not push the striker this season, he said:
“Someone said to me the day after [PSG], you cannot write the script that on the day that Alex is back after four months of injuries, first start, the same day the other one leaves the pitch with a long-term injury. It’s a good thing Alex is back now even more, of course, although it wouldn’t be the first game that I have to play without a particular type in a particular position; I’ve had many games this season I didn’t have the right full-back available, for example. So, we would have adjusted to that as well, but it’s nice to have Alex back, although we also know that he’s not ready to play 90 yet.”
Liverpool take on Everton in the Premier League at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday. The Reds can take a giant leap towards UEFA Champions League qualification, while the Toffees need a win to jump to sixth in the table and be just four points adrift of the Anfield side.
Follow all the build-up, live match updates, and post-game analysis right here on the ReadLiverpool website
