Pressure is rising on Alexander Isak as Liverpool suffer major injury blow
All things considered, it has been a disastrous few weeks for Liverpool Football Club. After starting March with a humiliating 2-1 defeat at Wolves in the Premier League, Liverpool bounced back with a 3-1 win at Wolves in the FA Cup, only to regress to a defeat at Galatasaray and a draw vs. Tottenham. They managed to erase the first-leg deficit and edge Galatasaray in the Champions League, only to lose their following match at Brighton.
A lopsided FA Cup elimination vs. Manchester City would follow before Liverpool suffered a 2-1 defeat at Paris Saint-Germain. The reigning Premier League champions would bounce back with a 2-0 win at Fulham, but their optimism was short-lived as PSG won 2-0 at Anfield, eliminating the Reds from European competition for the second-straight season. And to add salt to the wound, Hugo Ekitiké suffered a season-ending Achilles injury.
In contrast to Liverpool’s other blockbuster attacking signings, Ekitiké has managed to deliver in his maiden campaign in English football and justify his price tag. The same cannot be said about Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, who have flattered to deceive. Expectations were high for Isak after joining for a Premier League record fee of £125 million, but so far, the Swedish forward has been unable to carry over the same momentum that saw him become a superstar in Newcastle.
Photo: IMAGO
After a fairly auspicious start that saw him score against West Ham, Tottenham, and Southampton, as well as grab an assist at Chelsea, Isak suffered a broken fibula which put him out of action for over three months. So far, he has struggled to make an impact in his return, logging just a quarter-hour in Paris and 25 minutes against Fulham. And after a languid display against PSG, he was hauled off for Cody Gakpo at the interval — despite Ekitiké already having come off.
It seems likely that Arne Slot will go with the same team that produced a victory vs. Fulham as he approaches what could very well be the final Merseyside Derby of his tenure. Gakpo should start at center forward ahead of Mohamed Salah, Florian Wirtz and Rio Ngumoha, but Isak will nevertheless be expected to play a key role off the bench for a Liverpool side that is flailing at the moment.
Regardless of his fitness issues and form woes, his teammates are backing him to have a crucial role in this summer’s FIFA World Cup. “He’s a world-class player,” stated Udinese captain Jesper Karlström, who, unlike Isak, participated in Sweden’s victorious World Cup knockout playoffs against Ukraine and Poland to secure their spot in the competition.
“There aren’t many players on his level, and we need him in the World Cup to achieve good results,” added Karlström. “We are lucky to have other world-class players, like Viktor Gyökeres, not just Isak, and we are really lucky in Sweden to have that kind of setup in the attack with other players also. Isak is very important for us, and I hope he will be fit to help us in the World Cup.”
Isak will be looking to race back to full fitness as he prepares to compete in the first World Cup of his career, but first, he’ll be looking to get back to his scintillating best as Liverpool prepare for what will be six pivotal Premier League matches. He’s already ushered in a new era of success at Newcastle, but now, can he fill Ekitiké’s void and steer Liverpool to Champions League qualification?
