Alexander Isak injury: Will Liverpool striker need surgery after being subbed off in the Champions League?
Alexander Isak might not be back on the pitch as soon as Liverpool might have hoped for, according to reports.
The Swedish striker, who joined from Newcastle United on deadline day for £125m, has been sidelined with a groin injury that kept him out of last weekend’s defeat to Brentford.
He has scored just once in eight games since arriving at Anfield and was forced off at half-time during Liverpool’s Champions League win over Eintracht Frankfurt last week. Meanwhile, fellow summer signing Hugo Ekitike has been in top form for the Reds, giving manager Arne Slot quite the selection headache for his starting XI.
With his return date still unclear, injury analyst Ben Dinnery told Escapist Magazine, via the Liverpool Echo, that surgery might be considered if Isak’s issue continues.
Dinnery said: “Is there maybe a need to go under the knife? There will be a point where they look at that and discuss.
“Surgical intervention is primarily taken for two reasons. One is to minimise or mitigate the risk of re-injury so you’re hoping to stop that. Secondly, is to free the player up so they’re returning to those pre-injury levels.
“Now, of course, there is never a 100% success rate guarantee with these surgeries so that’s why it’s not a decision that is taken lightly. The Isak situation, we know that it’s very minor, more of a niggle, but he is being managed.
“You've got the form of Ekitike and Isak's coming off the back of a heavily disrupted pre-season programme. That forms a cornerstone for any player for their upcoming campaign. The more sessions and games that you miss during that block, the higher risk you are of picking up an injury.
“Again, it comes as no surprise that Isak’s going to pick up one or two niggles during these early two months for Liverpool.”