Alexander Isak’s arrival at Anfield in September came with a lot of excitement, but his start has not quite matched the hype.
Liverpool fans have been waiting to see him in red since rumours first started swirling back in July. And while he has made 16 appearances and scored three goals so far, it still does not feel like he is fully settled into the side yet.
It has not been easy for anyone involved. But there was a bit of good news recently when Liverpool shared photos of Isak stepping up his training. That was followed by Sweden manager Graham Potter saying he hoped to have him available for the March international break.
Journalist David Lynch weighed in on those comments and said that there is now a real chance that Isak could be fit enough to feature for Sweden during the last week of March.
Alexander Isak expected back for Liverpool in March
Speaking to Anfield Index, Lynch said that there has been no change to the original return date for Isak, but there also has not been any news of delays.
That means the 26-year-old is still expected to rejoin the squad in March. The initial estimate was mid-March, though with injuries, exact dates can often shift by a week or two either side.
“When he first got the injury the talk was, and I heard, that mid-March was the aim for him. I’ve not heard anything since, but timelines around injuries are a bit difficult, so he might be a little slower than that, he might be a little bit quicker or whatever,” the journalist began by saying.
“March is definitely when we might see him back in a Liverpool shirt or certainly get him in the squad. I think he might be back fit around the international break, or certainly around Liverpool squads, so there’s a good chance he could do that [play for Sweden] if the timeline hasn’t shifted at all. But then the question is, of course, would Liverpool allow him to go having just come back.
“Sweden did them a few solids with Isak in terms of not playing him in games that didn’t matter, so maybe that will influence them a little bit. But I think that’s legitimate, I think he does have a chance for that.”
Alexander Isak to miss another eight games
Isak could still be some weeks away from returning, and it is worth looking at which fixtures he might miss before then.
Between now and the international break, Liverpool have just five league games scheduled: Nottingham Forest, West Ham United, Wolves, Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton.
Beyond that, the FA Cup fifth round is set for the weekend of 7/8th March, and the Champions League last-16 ties are scheduled for 10/11 March.
This means Isak could potentially be absent for up to eight more matches. Lynch’s mid-March estimate suggests he might be back in time to face Spurs on the 15th or Brighton on the 21st.
With his return now appearing closer, there is hope that Isak can soon begin to make a real impact in a Liverpool shirt.
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