"The first five or six weeks, of course we had the player we signed but he was not completely ready. He was getting fitter but he had to do this in a Premier League game. This is not normal for a player. Ideally you would use him earlier in friendly matches but there is no time in the middle of the season for a friendly so we had to build him up playing Premier League and Champions League games."
"You have to be on top of your game to make a difference at this level. You can play at this level if you are 80, 90 or 95% but to make a difference at the highest level of football you need to be 100%. That goes for every player and I think I can safely say he is 100% now."
Alexander Isak missed the majority of pre-season training after forcing through a record £125m transfer to Liverpool, producing a low-key start to his Anfield career. Seven weeks after joining, he played the entirety of Sweden's two World Cup qualifiers and regained match fitness. Initial five or six weeks saw him not completely ready, requiring fitness to be built through Premier League and Champions League games rather than friendlies. Full match sharpness is now reported at 100%. Isak has started four games in all competitions, scoring once in the Carabao Cup. Expectations include scoring goals and leading the front three's pressing.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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