Alexander Isak says he is 100 per cent fit and ready to kickstart his Liverpool career after a disastrous debut season marred by injuries and a £125 million price tag.
The stark ease with which Andoni Iraola’s side completely unravelled in a chaotic second-half performance against Leeds United falling to a 4-2 defeat at Soldier Field in Chicago after holding a 2-0 halftime lead laid bare significant defensive lapses and lingering summer rustiness.
What should have been a controlled operational exercise in match fitness quickly turned into an alarming defensive collapse, as structural gaps, miscommunication at the back, and sluggish recovery runs allowed the opposition to slice through Liverpool’s shape with unsettling regularity.
While pre-season fixtures are naturally designed to flush out physical and tactical shortcomings, the sheer velocity of the breakdown after the interval offered Iraola a stark, unvarnished look at the defensive refinement required before competitive action begins in earnest
Yet, while there are clear tactical creases for Iraola and his coaching staff to iron out before the competitive action begins in earnest, this fixture was far from a total loss.
A player who was among the positives was a brief, highly encouraging glimpse of Alexander Isak. Looking sharp, mobile, and completely untroubled during a tailored 45-minute outing,
Speaking to Swedish outlet Sportbladet following the final whistle, the 26-year-old confirmed he has overcome the fractured fibula sustained in the 2-1 victory against Tottenham Hotspur last December where he scored and after game vs Leeds he declared himself ready to shoulder the central attacking load for the upcoming season.
The urgency behind Isak’s resurgence is magnified by the severe blow Liverpool suffered in April.Hugo Ekitike who enjoyed a stellar debut campaign with 17 goals across all competitions suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon against Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter finals of the Champions League.
The 23-year-old was ruled out of France's World Cup campaign and faces between nine and 12 months on the sidelines.With Ekitike set to miss the remainder of 2026, the structural weight of Liverpool’s attack now rests squarely on Isak’s shoulders.
Iraola can no longer afford to ease his record signing in gradually; Isak must step up immediately as Liverpool’s primary focal point.
The £125m nightmare that haunted year one
To understand the weight of Isak’s recovery, one only has to look back at the turbulent backdrop of his arrival on Merseyside. This time last year, the forward was locked in a bitter, high-profile dispute with Newcastle United.
Deprived of a proper pre-season schedule, he eventually secured a sensational £125m deadline-day move to Anfield, but that complete lack of a foundational fitness base immediately placed him on the back foot.
Without the conditioning required to thrive in a high-intensity system, Isak’s debut campaign became a grueling uphill struggle. He managed just four goals in a frustrating, stop-start year that was further derailed in December when a tackle from Micky van de Ven left him with a fractured fibula.
Surgery followed, sidelining the marquee signing for over three months. For a player carrying the weight of a British-record fee, it was a nightmare maiden season at Anfield one defined far more by the treatment room than headline moments.
World Cup minutes and the road back to peak condition
Thankfully, the picture today looks vastly different. Isak’s recovery from that major leg break has been meticulous, and the striker made intelligent use of his summer rather than putting his feet up.
Representing Sweden at the World Cup, the 26-year-old logged valuable game time across four tournament fixtures.
Those competitive minutes served as a crucial springboard, accelerating his match sharpness ahead of Liverpool’s pre-season gathering and allowing him to report for duty in good condition.
Reflecting on his 45-minute stint against Leeds and his current physical state, Isak remained pragmatically positive:
“I got to feel some of the ball and run a bit, work on my fitness,” he said. “It’s always the most important thing in these matches, to get the body going.
“It felt good as a team too, I thought we had a good half. I hope to be in the best shape possible and be able to help the team succeed. That’s the plan.”
Defensive collapse masks Iraola’s silver lining
When pressed further on how his body is holding up following such a grueling, injury-ravaged 12 months, Isak was unequivocal in his assessment. When asked if he is now operating at 100 per cent, the Swede delivered an answer that will provide genuine comfort to supporters sweating over that second-half collapse.
“Yes, no problem,” Isak answered. “Then it is clear that the physical status is used in the pre-season to work up, and that is what we are going to do.”
While the nature of the defeat to Leeds will stick in the throat of a squad striving for perfection under their new head coach, Isak’s clean bill of health represents the biggest boost Liverpool could have hoped for.With Ekitike out for the foreseeable future and a full summer preparation finally beneath him, the stage is set for the £125m man to properly kickstart his Anfield career.
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