International breaks are rarely kind to Liverpool managers, and Andoni Iraola will be forgiven for holding his breath every time a notification flashes on his phone this fortnight.
The latest heart-in-mouth moment for the Reds arrived over the weekend, courtesy of Alexander Isak.
The 27-year-old striker maintained his blistering start to the season on Friday evening, opening the scoring for Sweden in their 2-1 UEFA Nations League victory over Romania. But delight quickly turned to concern when the former Newcastle United man was seen nursing a bloodied foot at full-time following a heavy stamp to his toe.
Initial hopes were that the problem was isolated to the impact injury. However, those expectations were dampened on Sunday morning when Liverpool officially announced Isak’s early withdrawal from international duty due to a "minor injury," sending him back to the AXA Training Centre for further evaluation.
Sweden head coach Graham Potter has now provided full clarity on the situation ahead of his side's meeting with Poland, revealing that while the toe caused immediate distress, it is a separate thigh issue that ultimately cut Isak's camp short.
Potter confirms thigh issue but plays down severity
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Potter confirmed that the decision to send Isak back to Merseyside was precautionary rather than a sign of a lengthy lay-off.
"He's got a small problem with his thigh," Potter explained. "It's not a big one, but because of the amount of games we've got in a small space of time, he won't be able to make those.
"Not a big one, but it's frustrating for him and obviously for us. It is what it is, but we move forward with the players we have."
Potter detailed how the issue unfolded during the 90 minutes against Romania, suggesting the true nature of the muscular strain only became apparent in the days following the match.
"It was during the game," Potter added. "Like anything, you sometimes get bumps and bruises in the game, you might think it's a bit of a dead leg or something. But actually as the 24 hours, 48 hours after the game, not quite what you think.
"Unfortunately after getting it checked out, it's a little bit more than what you think during the match. He has to miss the rest of the camp.
"Our medical team has been in contact with the club. Obviously it's our decision in the first place because of his status, in terms of his injury. Once that's the case, we have to inform everybody. That's just normal.
"We've got a really big squad that we believe in. Clearly there's not another Alexander Isak, that's obvious. In an ideal world, we want all our players available but the reality is we don't have Alex for this game... clearly whoever comes in, we're not going to ask them to be Alex. They just need to be themselves in the best way they can."
What Isak's injury means for Manchester City clash
Naturally, eyes on Merseyside immediately turned to Liverpool’s fixture calendar. The Reds host Manchester City in a crucial Premier League clash at Anfield on October 11, giving Isak a fortnight to recover.
If medical assessments confirm the problem is a minor Grade 1 thigh strain, the £125m forward remains on track to feature against Enzo Maresca side.
Losing Isak for any prolonged period would represent a major blow to Iraola. The Swedish international has hit the ground running in the 2026-27 campaign, registering four goals in his first five Premier League outings a tally bettered only by City’s Erling Haaland.
Liverpool injury list: Who else is currently sidelined?
Isak's setback leaves Iraola's attacking options stretched thin, particularly with Liverpool's only other recognized senior striker, Hugo Ekitike, enduring a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
The French forward continues his recovery from a severe Achilles injury sustained against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League five months ago, with a return targeted for November.
Elsewhere in the squad:
- Federico Chiesa: The Italian international has missed the entire campaign so far with a back issue, though he is pencilled in to return to group training following the conclusion of the international break.
- Giovanni Leoni: The young center-back is nearing a return and was scheduled to resume full team training at Kirkby during the current hiatus.
- Conor Bradley: The Northern Ireland right-back faces a longer wait as he rehabilitates from a serious knee problem, with a return expected around November alongside Ekitike.
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