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What do the numbers say about Isak’s availability amid Steven Gerrard concern for Liverpool star?
Liverpool v Brighton & Hove Albion - Premier League 2026/27
Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

A different story is being written by Alexander Isak at Liverpool this season after his troubles during his debut campaign at Anfield.

That was mainly down to not having a pre-season before joining from Newcastle United, and then constant injuries derailing what turned out to be a very poor campaign.

But Isak’s goal during Liverpool’s win over Brighton on Sunday further proved to Steven Gerrard that his former side has now come to life, including the attack looking ‘faster, more energetic and more intense.’

But speaking to The Overlap Daily, Gerrard raised his concerns over Isak’s fitness, and whether he is ‘robust’ enough to last the season.

Steven Gerrard urges Alexander Isak to stay fit for Liverpool?

When Isak is on song, there aren’t many better players to watch in the Premier League because he is a natural finisher of the highest order.

After seven Premier League games this season, he already has six goals to his name, after he only netted three league goals last term.

That’s why Gerrard was singing his praises as Andoni Iraola’s side moved into fourth place in the Premier League table.

“In terms of Liverpool this season and what we are seeing now compared to the majority of last season,” said Gerrard. “It looks very different.

“It looks faster, more energetic and more intense. They are playing forward a lot quicker. They are more exciting. And in the last three or four games, the big players with the big fees are really contributing, stepping up and stepping forward. That’s what we needed to see from a Liverpool fan’s perspective.

“This team needs Isak fit, available, robust and enough to repeat games because he is a Premier League goalscorer.”

Last season, Isak played just over 1,000 minutes of football in all competitions, but he is already halfway there for the 2026/27 campaign (687 minutes).

But Gerrard is right to question whether Isak’s fitness and injury record can be trusted because history suggests that he will visit the treatment room once or twice.

Now, last season, the Sweden international could have the excuse of having no pre-season and then being thrown straight into the deep end.

But during his days at Newcastle United, while he would hit 20+ Premier League goals, including winning the League Cup, he wasn’t exactly doing it while playing a shed load of matches.

Season Games completed in all comps Starts Premier League games Total minutes
2024/25 42 41 34 3,324
2023/24 40 36 30 2,973
2022/23 29 18 22 1,834

As you can see above, the most games Isak has completed over the course of the campaign is 42, and he is yet to be fit for an entire Premier League campaign.

This doesn’t include his 14 Premier League matches last season, as he already missed Liverpool’s defeat to Manchester City this term because of a thigh problem.

Either way, you sense that Isak missing a game or two is around the corner, and as the Reds found out against Man City, the timing of that wasn’t great.

Season Games missed
2024/25 6
2023/24 10
2022/23 14

Hopefully, Isak can replicate what he did during his final season at St James’ Park, and that’s starting 41 games and only missing six of those matches.

Not forgetting that Hugo Ekitike returning from injury should help out a growing and currently in-form Liverpool forward line.

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