Isak is ready to fire for Liverpool, says Slot
The Sweden striker is up to full fitness
Liverpool will start to see the best of record transfer Alexander Isak now he has settled in at Anfield, says manager Arne Slot.
The Reds pursued a deal for Isak all summer, finally signing him for £125m on transfer deadline day.
The Sweden striker has played just 313 minutes over six appearances so far – scoring in an EFL Cup win over Southampton – after missing the whole of pre-season.
Isak has played an additional minutes 198 minutes for Sweden, although in two full World Cup qualifiers over the international break he failed to find the net against Kosovo or Switzerland.
However, ahead of the visit of arch-rivals Manchester United, Slot said the 26-year-old is now ready to go.
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“He has had his fix, six weeks of pre-season which is normal for every player – especially if you have been out for three or four months,” said the Dutchman.
“Fitness-wise he is close to the level he should be and we can judge him in a fair way from now on.
“I know how this industry works, if he plays there (Sweden) twice and doesn’t score that’s not what you’re hoping for, of course.
“You are hoping if they go to the national team they score goals like Cody (Gakpo) did, like Virgil (van Dijk) did, like Dominik (Szoboszlai) did, like (Alexis) MacAllister did but he didn’t.
“His pre-season has maybe finished now, he has played a few games 70, 80, 90 minutes so let’s see where he is in the upcoming weeks.”
Liverpool lost their last two Premier League games but still go into the weekend in second place in the table behind Arsenal.
Slot knows his side must do better and there is no bigger game than a clash with United.
“I look forward to every single Premier League game, but maybe more the Man United one because I know how special it is,” he said.
“We know it’s the game that is perhaps watched the most all over the world. It’s a game we have to be at our best, because in my opinion United have had a better start to the season than the league table suggests.”