“‘Chances increasing’ – Sky Sports reporter hints at possible Isak involvement for Liverpool vs Atletico”

Alexander Isak could make Liverpool debut against Atletico Madrid

Alexander Isak didn’t feature in Liverpool’s weekend victory over Burnley, but his debut might come as soon as tomorrow night when the Reds take on Atletico Madrid. The £125m signing is still working his way back to full fitness, having missed pre-season and the early part of the campaign with Newcastle before his record-breaking move to Anfield. His brief 18-minute appearance for Sweden against Kosovo last week was his first competitive action since May.

That said, Isak did train with Arne Slot’s squad today ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League opener, increasing hopes that he might be involved in some capacity against Diego Simeone’s side.

Isak in contention to feature

Sky Sports News, reporting from the AXA Training Centre, shared an update via journalist Vinny O’Connor. He said Slot has made it clear from the beginning that Isak will need time to build up his match fitness.

“He trained with the squad over the weekend, but Slot has cautioned that if Isak plays 45 minutes against Atletico, he likely won’t be able to play the same or more in the Merseyside derby. His body isn’t ready for that kind of workload yet,” O’Connor explained. “He is progressing well, though, and there’s a stronger chance now than there was before Burnley that he could play some part against Atletico.”

Liverpool can afford to be patient

Arne Slot has shown before – as with Federico Chiesa last season – that he prefers easing players back rather than rushing them in, especially when they’ve missed pre-season. The same method appears to be in place for Isak.

Although he trained today and may make the squad for tomorrow’s game, he’s expected to start on the bench while Hugo Ekitike retains his place up front. Fortunately, Ekitike’s strong form has eased any pressure to push Isak into the starting XI too quickly.

Ideally, Isak could get around 20–30 minutes off the bench tomorrow and possibly a longer run – 45 minutes or more – in Saturday’s derby against Everton, depending on medical advice.

There’s no urgent need to rush the former Newcastle striker into action, but getting him game time soon will help him build chemistry with his new teammates and integrate into the Liverpool setup.