Alexander Isak Spotted in Liverpool Training Ahead of Atletico Madrid Clash
Alexander Isak trained with his new Liverpool teammates on Tuesday as the Reds prepared for their Champions League showdown with Atletico Madrid. The Swedish striker, signed from Newcastle United earlier this month in a record £125m deal, looks set to make his debut at Anfield on Wednesday night.
Isak, who missed Liverpool’s 1-0 Premier League win over Burnley at the weekend, was given extra time to build fitness after arriving without a proper pre-season. Manager Arne Slot hinted after the Burnley game that the 25-year-old is close to being ready, and his involvement at the AXA Training Centre strengthened those expectations.
However, Curtis Jones remains sidelined. The midfielder, out since picking up an injury in last month’s win over Arsenal, was absent once again and is unlikely to feature against the Spanish giants.
There was better news regarding Alexis Mac Allister. The Argentine returned to training after hobbling off at half-time against Burnley with an ankle knock. Slot confirmed the midfielder isn’t ready to handle a packed schedule yet but could feature in short bursts over the next two games as his workload is carefully managed.
Academy youngsters Rio Ngumoha, Trey Nyoni, and Jayden Danns also joined the session, while Federico Chiesa trained despite not being registered for the group stage of the competition.
Speaking about Isak’s build-up, Slot explained:
“We got him from Newcastle in a state where his pre-season is going to start now. He needs proper minutes of training as a base. We will build him carefully — maybe 45 minutes on Wednesday, but then don’t expect him to play full matches straight away.”
With Isak closing in on his Liverpool bow and Mac Allister returning, Slot’s squad is starting to regain strength at just the right time ahead of a crucial European test.
