Liverpool FC Number 9 has been out of action since December after taking a pretty nasty tumble while landing a crucial winner in the 2-1 away victory over Spurs. Unfortunately he’d already broken his fibula but the real problem was a nasty ankle injury that came from the same incident- bar a couple of other injuries that need to sort their own selfs out he was bang on target in that match.
Some photos that appeared showed Isak still doing his rehab, and just before the game against Forest, Arne Slot provided an encouraging update during his pre match press conference.
Slot said that the striker is only just now starting to get out on the training pitch, doing some running drills in his stocking feet. Its still pretty early days and a full return is still a bit further off than we might be hoping for. However he told us that just because players are injured that doesn’t mean theyre just sitting on their tod doing bugger all – theyre actually getting loads done at the training ground getting their strength back up, doing rehab and all the other stuff they need to do before they can get back out on the pitch with the lads.
According to Slot getting back out on the pitch is a big mental hurdle because it basically means hed hit a significant milestone in the rehab process. Next up will be getting to do some ball work & then he’ll start getting to join in with the team training. Its only after all that he’ll be approaching match fitness and even then, well need to be a bit patient (as the saying goes).
Slot sang the praises of both Isak & the medical team for all the progress theyve made so far.
It will be somewhere around March and then it’s always the question if things go really well or if he gets a little bit of a setback. So, it will be around that period of time – end of March, start of April when he’s hopefully back with the group. When you’re back with the group it’s not to say that you are ready to play, let alone start, a game of football because, again, he’s been out for months and the last time he’s been out for months I think we could all see that it took him a while before he was the player we have signed from Newcastle.
He also reminded us that when Isak does get back in the team, we shouldnt expect him to come back firing on all cylinders straight away. After months of training on his tod, Id bet he’ll need a bit of time to get his match fitness up to the level where hes performing at his best – and we havent even yet seen the best of him at Anfield. But Slot reckons that will come – probably later this season or sometime soon.
