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Isak return a huge boost to ailing Liverpool before PSG litmus test
Heaven knows it has been a difficult season for Liverpool, who were unceremoniously dumped out of the FA Cup by Manchester City on Saturday, but they now stand two games away from a place in the Champions League semi-finals.
And the good news is that Alexander Isak looks set to play some part against Paris Saint-Germain as Arne Slot’s men face the reigning champions in the last eight.
Here, DAZN News reporter Ross Heppenstall suggests the return of the Sweden striker can give the Reds’ hopes of progressing a massive shot in the arm heading into Wednesday’s first leg in Paris.
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A transfer saga that rumbled on and on
It would be harsh to suggest Isak’s British record £125million from Newcastle United to Liverpool last summer has so far been a disaster – but it wouldn’t be too far wide of the mark.
Isak effectively went on strike to get out of St James’ Park and force through his move to Anfield.
He trained alone during pre-season as uncertainty surrounded his future before a deal was finally struck to take him to Merseyside on September 1.
It took him until November 30 to score his first Premier League goal for Slot’s side in a 2-0 win at West Ham.
The sign of things to come? Not likely, as Isak suffered a devastating injury blow three weeks later.
Liverpool FC
Broken leg at Tottenham
Liverpool won 2-0 at Tottenham Hotspur in December but Isak went down with an ankle injury that included a fibula fracture.
He sustained the injury in the process of scoring his second Premier League goal for the club and has not been seen since undergoing surgery.
Liverpool’s form, as it has been all season, has been patchy in Isak’s absence but Hugo Ekitike has proved a reliable source of goals.
The £69million from Eintracht Frankfurt is in good form right now, having netted for France in a 2-1 friendly win over Brazil last Thursday.
The prospect of Ekitike and Isak forging a successful strike partnership, à la Toshack and Keegan or Rush and Fowler, at Anfield remains enticing.
The good news for Slot and Liverpool fans is that Isak is now fit again and ready to return with some huge games on the horizon.
For all his struggles this season, Isak is proven in English football and earned a reputation as one of Europe’s most feared strikers during his time at Newcastle.
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Isak poised for comeback
As any good striker will testify, timing is everything, and Isak appears ripe for a timely return.
Slot confirmed last Wednesday that his star man is closing in on a first appearance since that cruel injury setback at Spurs last December.
The 26-year-old missed his country’s recent World Cup play-off campaign in which they beat Ukraine and Poland to qualify for this summer’s tournament.
He played no part in the Reds' abject 4-0 surrender at City on Saturday either, but has been training individually and will be carefully eased back into the first-team fold, likely through a series of cameos off the bench.
Slot said: “If you’ve worked so hard for three, four months or something like that and then to return to team training, that’s for everyone very nice.
“So Alex is, in that sense, in a good place. Of course it’s only his first session, after three or four months [out], with the team but it’s good to have him back because we all know who we signed and we've signed an incredible striker.
“So to have him again in a team that’s usually generating quite a lot chances – and maybe not immediately from the first moment that he can start – but to have him back for the last two months is, I think, very helpful for us.”
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What impact could Isak have for club and country?
Say what you like about Isak, and many Newcastle fans certainly have since he jumped ship from St James' Park last summer, but you cannot deny his goalscoring ability.
He scored 27 times for the Magpies last season, helping them to beat his current employers 2-1 in the Carabao Cup final to secure their first domestic trophy for 70 years.
So far at Liverpool, we have seen only glimpses of his undoubted talent, with just three goals in 16 appearances.
Perhaps Isak is saving his best for the final few weeks of the campaign.
He will not be ready to start the first leg against PSG, but even having him on the bench in Paris on Wednesday night would give Liverpool a huge lift.
Six days later, it is game on again at Anfield, Liverpool’s fabled home, which comes alive on European nights.
What are the chances of Isak playing his part in a famous chapter for the six-time European champions?
Champions League glory and this summer’s World Cup with Sweden are two huge carrots for Isak.
No shortage of motivation then for a man who still has it all to prove at Liverpool as he looks to justify that huge price tag.
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