Liverpool boss Arne Slot has declared that striker Alexander Isak remains a doubt for the weekend match against Brentford after he was sent off with a groin problem during their win over Eintracht Frankfurt.
The Swedish forward, who started alongside Hugo Ekitike in Wednesday’s match in which the latter scored against his former club, was substituted during the break at Deutsche Bank Park due to discomfort in his groin.
Pressure is mounting on Slot to get the best out of the British record signing, whose disappointing start has yielded just one goal: in the Carabao Cup against Southampton.
Ahead of the match against Brentford, Slot provided an update on his team’s injury concerns: ‘Alexander isn’t that bad. He’s a question mark for next weekend, so we’ll see where he stands.” during his press conference before the match.
Isak’s fitness setback comes at a crucial time as he continues his quest for a first Premier League goal since completing his transfer to Liverpool on deadline day.
His early spell at Anfield was affected by the limited pre-season following his hectic summer departure from Newcastle United. To date, the 26-year-old has made eight appearances in all competitions, contributing one Carabao Cup goal and one Premier League assist.
Doubt
When asked for an update on Jeremy Frimpong, who also suffered an injury in the match against Frankfurt, Slot replied: ‘Jeremy Frimpong is not in a good place; he will not play today, tomorrow or next week’ before adding: ‘Hamstring injuries, so that will take a while.’
After four successive defeats in all competitions, Liverpool desperately needed a confidence-boosting result – and they delivered it emphatically on Wednesday with a 5-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the UEFA Champions League.
However, the Reds will look to end a worrying home record after losing their previous four Premier League away games against London clubs.
They will aim to avoid a fifth successive defeat in the capital – a record they last experienced between March and November 1970 – when they make the trip to Brentford in east London on Saturday.
Encouragingly, Liverpool have a strong record against the Bees, winning each of their last five meetings. They have also found the net in all eight Premier League matches against Brentford – their second-best perfect score against any side after Queens Park Rangers, against whom they have scored in all fourteen meetings.
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