Liverpool Boss Arne Slot Reveals Plan for Alexander Isak and How Much Game Time to Expect in Coming Weeks

Liverpool manager Arne Slot is expected to hand Alexander Isak his debut for the club away at Burnley on Sunday – but he has warned fans not to expect a full 90 minutes any time soon.

Isak moved to Anfield on transfer deadline day when Liverpool paid Newcastle a British record transfer fee of £125 million. That move took Liverpool’s summer spending to a whopping £446.5m in a record-breaking Premier League transfer window.

The 25-year-old had previously made it clear that he wanted to leave Tyneside for Liverpool and therefore took no part in Newcastle’s pre-season programme. As a result, Isak is not yet at full fitness — highlighted by him getting just 20 minutes of game time for Sweden during the recent international break.

Arne Slot outlines plan for Alexander Isak

Speaking at his press conference on Friday morning, Slot explained why Liverpool supporters will have to be patient.

He also admitted he had been relieved that Isak was used sparingly for Sweden — with his 20-minute appearance in Monday’s 2-0 defeat by Kosovo coming after he was an unused substitute in last Friday’s 2-2 draw with Slovenia.

Slot told reporters: “The Swedish manager Jon Dahl Tomasson deserves a big compliment because he gets maybe the best striker in the world in, needs to play two very important games, but understands if he were to play him twice 90 minutes then probably the player would have been injured for multiple weeks.

“We will treat Alex the same as they did. Don’t expect him to be every single game 90 minutes on the pitch. That’s definitely not going to happen in the upcoming weeks.”

Slot emphasised that Isak had missed “a proper pre-season” and “three or four months of team sessions,” adding that it is essential to build him up gradually.

He continued: “We haven’t signed him for the upcoming two weeks, we’ve signed him for six years. So this is what we have to keep in mind and what the fans have to keep in mind if I take him off at a certain moment or only bring him in for a small amount of minutes — it’s all for the long-term fitness of the player.”

Slot dismisses Isak criticism from Newcastle fans

Isak’s transfer was one of the most dramatic sagas of the summer. Newcastle fans felt betrayed after the Swede refused to take part in pre-season and pushed for the move.

Angry chants of “Isak’s a c***” were heard on the terraces, while other fans expressed themselves with banners and some even burned their shirts with the striker’s name on the back.

Asked about that criticism, Slot dismissed any concerns. “In football there’s always criticism,” he said.

“Sometimes people cheer for you. After he won the League Cup, everyone was really happy with him. In other moments you get criticised. Now he’s a player for us and I’m really happy with that.”

Slot added: “The thing that pleases me most is getting the deal for Alex over the line. Richard [Hughes], the ownership, everyone involved worked so hard to get the deal done. It’s very good for the club, for our fans, for our players, for me that all the work they put in resulted in Alex signing for us.”

Isak set for Liverpool debut off the bench at Burnley

Isak is almost certain to feature at Turf Moor, though Slot’s comments suggest it will only be a cameo rather than a full start. Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has already said he does not expect the striker to be in the starting XI on Sunday, and the manager’s comments outlining his cautious approach appear to confirm that view.

Even so, excitement is high among Liverpool supporters after the Swede’s first training session at the AXA Training Centre earlier this week. Footage released by the club showed him greeting teammates, taking part in gym work and, most eye-catching of all, scoring multiple goals in a small-sided game. One strike in particular caught attention after his sharp footwork left a young Reds defender on the floor before he calmly finished.

The video has been viewed over one million times on YouTube and helped fuel anticipation for his debut.

“Isak better play on Sunday,” demanded one Reds supporter on X (formerly Twitter) alongside a snippet of the video. “He’s so ready. Just look at his finishing in training.”

A similar message from another fan, who also shared some footage to back up their point, added: “Isak’s ready for Burnley!” Meanwhile, a third fan tweeted: “Isak hasn’t even played one game this season and is hardly match fit and yet he’s still cooking everyone in training.”

Liverpool go into the fourth Premier League gameweek of the season as the only team with maximum points. The Reds have a 28.9% chance of retaining their Premier League title, according to a recent study.