After the October international break, coach Arne Slot admitted that there was no more excuse for Alexander Isak.
"In terms of physical strength, he is almost at the level he wanted. And from now on we can evaluate him fairly," the Dutch captain said before the match against Manchester United.
However, just three weeks later, Slot had to return and ask for patience from fans for the most valuable player in the history of English football.
"I know I said that his pre-season is over, and it's time for us to see where he is, but now I have to withdraw that statement. Because if you only have 3 weeks of recovery, it won't be enough to get you back to your best form," Slot said in early November.
However, Isak should have been in that position right now. And he really needs to be there, because nearly three months after arriving at Anfield, the Swedish striker still looks like a player that Liverpool don't necessarily have to sign. And certainly not for £125 million.
After being named in the reserve list in the loss to Manchester City on November 9, Isak was optimistic about the opportunity to contribute to Sweden's two World Cup qualifiers in the most recent international break.
However, he only came on in the last half of the 1-4 loss to Switzerland, and new manager Graham Potter eventually decided not to use Isak in the match against Slovenia. He is concerned that a yellow card could see the striker miss the play-off semi-final against Ukraine next March.
Thus, Isak has truly returned to the starting lineup. He clearly needs a series of appearances and goals to regain his form. But now, it is difficult to justify that he should start instead of Hugo Ekitike - who scored the first goal for the French team last week. Liverpool are struggling and cannot risk giving an important responsibility to a player who is not in optimal form.
Of course, it can be argued that Ekitike's consistent form will make it easier for Slot to facilitate Isak's return. To be fair, former coach Feyenoord has always emphasized that Liverpool need two top strikers this season to deal with the pressure to defend the Premier League title and improve their performance in the Champions League.
However, Slot also admitted that he needs to "let Isak play as many games as possible," meaning that balancing will not be simple in the coming weeks and months. On the contrary, the pressure to help Isak gain energy and shine will increase. Liverpool cannot keep a £125m signing on the bench or worse, in the stands.
Encouragingly, Isak said he was physically ready to "play properly" after playing the full 28 minutes in Geneva last week and remains positive.
"Preparation is not optimal. But when I'm on the pitch, I never make excuses," said the Swedish striker.
And that is a positive thing, because if there are excuses, it is just an outsidery story. Patience with the third most expensive player in the history of world football has run out. It is time for Isak to prove his worth.
