Liverpool have been handed a fresh injury scare after star striker Alexander Isak withdrew from international duty with Sweden due to a minor thigh problem.
The 27-year-old opened the scoring in Sweden’s 2-1 victory over Romania on Friday but was subsequently ruled out of the remaining fixtures following a medical assessment.
Sweden head coach Graham Potter confirmed the issue is not serious but stressed that the congested schedule made it unwise to risk the forward.
“Isak has a minor thigh problem. It’s nothing serious, but due to the number of matches in a short period of time, he won’t be able to take part. It’s frustrating for both him and us, but it is what it is,” Potter said.
Isak was also seen leaving the pitch with a blood-soaked sock after appearing to suffer a heavy stamp during the match. Speaking afterwards, the striker downplayed the incident.
“You can see it… It was a heavy stamp,” he said. “Those of you who have played might know that it takes a few minutes for the pain to subside, but it was okay.”
Although the latest setback has been described as minor, Liverpool will be hoping it does not develop into a longer absence. Isak endured an injury-plagued first season at Anfield after his £125 million move, missing 30 matches for club and country. A broken leg sustained in a challenge by Tottenham’s Micky van de Ven in December kept him out until April, limiting him to just four goals across all competitions.
This campaign has started far more brightly. Isak has already netted four times in his first five Premier League appearances, including a strike against Nottingham Forest in a 2-2 draw, a brace in the 2-0 win over Ipswich, and the decisive goal in Liverpool’s 1-0 victory against Bournemouth.
Sweden have confirmed that Isak will miss the upcoming Nations League matches against Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Romania. Liverpool medical staff are expected to assess the striker thoroughly once he returns to the AXA Training Centre.