"He’s got a small problem with his thigh," Graham Potter said of Alexander Isak after the striker was sent back from Sweden's camp for assessment. Potter also said it is not a big issue, but Isak will miss the rest of the camp, leaving Liverpool with an anxious wait before Manchester City on Sunday, 11 October.
Isak completed 90 minutes against Romania before the thigh issue emerged, and he has scored five goals from seven starts for club and country. Sweden had expected to use him in all four matches in the ongoing window before the update changed the plan.
Potter's update on Isak
Potter said, after the assessment, that the problem was a little more than it looked during the match. He also said Sweden's medical team had been in contact with Liverpool, which is the normal process when a player leaves camp early.
The bigger point for Liverpool is that this is not just a Sweden issue. Cody Gakpo is also a doubt after a separate knock, so the club are tracking two forwards at once before a game that already matters in the league race.
Liverpool's wider injury wait
There is some mitigation in the international break. Alisson Becker was spared duty by Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti, 18 members of Liverpool's senior squad are currently away with their nations, and Rio Ngumoha and Victor Munoz were left out of the England and Spain matchday squads at Wembley.
That still leaves the main headache at the sharp end of the pitch. Potter said there is no like-for-like replacement for Isak, and Sweden will not ask anyone to be him. Liverpool now have to wait on both Isak and Gakpo before City arrive at Anfield on 11 October.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →
