Graham Potter, the newly appointed manager of Sweden national football team, has recently provided an update on the fitness status of Alexander Isak. The Swedish striker has been struggling with his fitness since his summer transfer from Newcastle to Liverpool for a record British fee of £125 million.
Isak's move to Liverpool was followed by a limited pre-season, most of which he spent finalizing his transfer. Consequently, he has been plagued by several minor injuries that have hindered him from making a significant impact in Merseyside. Despite these setbacks, Isak made it back to the bench for Liverpool's 3-0 defeat against Manchester City last weekend after approximately three weeks out. However, Arne Slot did not utilize him during this challenging match at Etihad.
Potter’s recent appointment as manager comes with its challenges as one of Sweden's key attacking options is not fully fit for their crucial first game against Switzerland in the World Cup Qualifier Group B. This predicament follows Jon Dahl Tomasson’s dismissal last month after two losses to Kosovo and one to Switzerland where they failed to score.
Graham Potter, Sweden manager, said:
'He's had a good week, he's available. But we have to be smart with him because he's been out for a while.'
'He's not ready to play two matches for 90 minutes. We have to wait and see until tomorrow.'
Potter’s track record and future plans
Potter earned recognition as manager of Östersunds in Sweden where he led the club from fourth-tier football all the way up to top-flight status. His tenure included winning the Swedish Cup and qualifying for Europa League Group Stages where they claimed some notable victories.
Despite being dismissed from West Ham following a turbulent period in English football, Potter now oversees talents such as Isak, Victor Gyokeres Anthony Elanga and Dejan Kulusevski when they are fully fit. Sweden currently sits at the bottom of their World Cup Qualifier group making automatic qualification impossible. They could potentially finish second if results go their way and they manage to beat Switzerland and Slovenia. However, it is more likely that they will rely on their strong Nations League position to reach next summer's tournament via playoff.
Alexander Isak's fitness status remains a concern for both Liverpool and Sweden. As sports fans eagerly await his return to full fitness, it is clear that his recovery could significantly impact both teams' performances in their respective competitions.
