Liverpool star Alexander Isak suffers fresh injury, withdraws from Sweden duty

Liverpool forward Alexander Isak has suffered another injury setback after withdrawing from Sweden’s squad due to a minor thigh problem.

Isak scored in Sweden’s 2-1 victory over Romania on Friday but will miss the country’s upcoming international fixtures after being assessed following the game.

Sweden manager Graham Potter confirmed the injury was not considered serious but said the striker would not be risked because of the congested schedule.

“Isak has a minor thigh problem.

“It’s nothing serious, but due to the number of matches in a short period of time, he won’t be able to take part.

“It’s frustrating for both him and us, but it is what it is.”

Isak was also seen with a blood-soaked sock after appearing to receive a heavy stamp during the match.

“You can see it… It was a heavy stamp,” he told reporters in the mixed zone.

“Those of you who have played might know that it takes a few minutes for the pain to subside, but it was okay.”

Despite the injury being described as minor, Liverpool will be hoping the problem does not develop into a longer-term setback.

The 27-year-old endured an injury-hit campaign last season, missing 30 matches for club and country because of various fitness problems.

The £125 million signing suffered a broken leg following a challenge from Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven in December and was sidelined until April.

He struggled for consistency during his first season at Liverpool, scoring four goals in all competitions.

Isak has started the current campaign in much better form, scoring four goals in his first five Premier League appearances.

He scored against Nottingham Forest in a 2-2 draw, netted both goals in Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Ipswich and scored the winner in a 1-0 victory over Bournemouth.

Sweden’s statement described Isak’s latest problem as “minor”, but he will miss their upcoming Nations League fixtures against Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Romania.

Liverpool will now monitor his condition at the AXA Training Centre after he returns from international duty.

Manager Andoni Iraola has also been working on improving Isak’s contribution without the ball, with the forward recently describing defending as an “attacking weapon”.

Iraola has reportedly used clips of Liverpool academy graduate Lewis Koumas to demonstrate the intensity he wants from Isak when leading the team’s press.