Liverpool striker Alexander Isak has opened up on the “scary” injury nightmare that disrupted his first season at Anfield following his blockbuster move from Newcastle United.
The Swedish international arrived on Merseyside last summer in a deal worth £125m, carrying enormous expectations after establishing himself as one of the Premier League’s most dangerous forwards.
However, Isak’s debut campaign quickly became complicated.
After arriving without full match sharpness following an unsettled summer, the 26-year-old struggled to fully find rhythm under Arne Slot before disaster struck in December.
Isak suffered a broken leg during Liverpool’s clash against Tottenham, an injury that ultimately derailed the majority of his season.
The striker has since admitted the experience was unlike anything he had previously dealt with in football.
Speaking during a Sweden press conference ahead of the World Cup, Isak described the rehabilitation process as mentally exhausting.
“It was a pain, it wasn’t fun,” the Liverpool forward admitted.
“I’ve had some muscle injuries before, but this was my first surgery. It was a bit of a scary experience.”
The injury required a lengthy rehabilitation programme, forcing Isak into months of recovery work away from the pitch.
“It has been a challenge with a lot of rehab,” he continued.
“It’s the most boring thing in football. Doing a lot of it is not fun.”
The timing of the setback could hardly have been worse for both player and club.
Liverpool had invested heavily in Isak as the marquee figure expected to lead the next era of the attack following growing uncertainty around Mohamed Salah’s long-term future.
Instead, the striker managed just 22 appearances across all competitions and never truly regained full fitness after returning.
Since the end of April, Isak has featured for only 23 competitive minutes under Arne Slot, highlighting the cautious approach Liverpool have taken with his recovery.
Despite concerns surrounding his fitness, the striker has insisted he will be ready to represent Sweden at the upcoming World Cup.
“Absolutely, I’m fine,” Isak said confidently when asked about Sweden’s opening match against Tunisia on June 15.
“I’ve had some injury concerns as you know. The most important thing is that I’m in good shape for the World Cup premiere.”
“There’s a little while left so I can work on that.”
Sweden are expected to use Isak in upcoming fixtures against Norway and Greece before the tournament officially begins.
Liverpool supporters will undoubtedly watch those games nervously given the importance of the striker heading into next season.
The club are still convinced Isak can become one of the defining forwards of the Slot era despite his difficult first campaign.
Former Real Sociedad teammate Nacho Monreal certainly believes the striker will bounce back strongly.
“Of course, it has been a difficult season for Isak,” Monreal explained this week.
“First of all, he wasn’t a part of the pre-season at either Liverpool or Newcastle. There were a lot of rumors about him and this kind of situation affects the player.”
“Liverpool paid a lot of money so they were putting a lot of pressure on Isak as well.”
Monreal also pointed toward the enormous expectations surrounding the Swedish star after his move to Anfield.
“In the beginning of the season it was really not easy for him and then he got injured,” he added.
“But what he did for Newcastle was amazing; we all know how many goals he scored.”
“I think he will be very important for Liverpool in the future.”
Those close to Liverpool remain optimistic that a full pre-season under Slot could completely transform Isak’s fortunes heading into the 2026/27 campaign.
With Florian Wirtz also expected to play a major role creatively behind him next season, Liverpool still believe the foundations are there for Isak to explode into one of Europe’s elite forwards.
For now, though, the priority is simple.
Get through the World Cup fully fit, complete a proper pre-season at Anfield, and finally show Liverpool supporters why the club invested such a massive fee to bring him to Merseyside.
