Arne Slot makes Alexander Isak call for Atletico Madrid clash after 'far away' admission

Alexander Isak has been handed his first start since joining Liverpool for Wednesday night's big Champions League tie with Atletico Madrid.

Isak has yet to make an appearance for the Reds since moving to Anfield in a British record transfer worth £125million and was omitted from the squad that beat Burnley in the Premier League on Sunday.

Arne Slot said after the game that Isak was 'far from ready' to feature significantly moving forward after missing pre-season at Newcastle due to the stand-off over his future. But the Sweden international, 25, will make his Liverpool bow when they host Atletico in their opening fixture of the new Champions League campaign.

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“If you start a season when the players have been off for five weeks, you give them a certain base before they are able to play 45 minutes,” Slot of Isak in his pre-match press conference.

“We got him from Newcastle in a state where you could see his pre-season was going to start now, then he needs proper minutes of training before he has a certain base, let alone for him to play twice in three days.

“We try to prepare players at the beginning of the season to play once a week and then we try to do more before the rhythm of three games a week.

“Alex is far from ready for that schedule of three games in a week but we could use him today for five minutes and Wednesday 10 and then 15, but we don’t believe that is the way to build him up.

“In Sweden they did the right thing by giving him good sessions without playing him a lot and we did the same so now he will be able to play 45 on Wednesday as a minimum or a little bit more.

“But if he plays 45 on Wednesday, don’t expect him to play 45 or more on Saturday (against Everton ) as his body is not prepared for that.”

Isak plays alongside Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah in a new-look front three ahead of Florian Wirtz in the No 10 position. Hugo Ekitike drops to the bench.

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