Arne Slot says Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz are ‘not able’ play three full Liverpool games in a row

1. Sport
2. Football

Liverpool host Sunderland at Anfield on Wednesday night before travelling to Leeds on Saturday as the games keep coming thick and fast

Get the Adam Clery Football Column. A newsletter that unpacks the absurdities and oddities of the beautiful game

The ACFC newsletter: unpacking football’s absurdities

Unpack football’s oddities with the ACFC newsletter

I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice

Liverpool’s lavish summer signings Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz are still not able to play three full matches in a short time frame, manager Arne Slot has admitted.

Isak played 68 minutes of Liverpool’s 2-0 win over West Ham on Sunday before he was replaced by Hugo Ekitike, while Wirtz played 75 minutes before making way for Curtis Jones.

Isak and Wirtz – bought for £125m from Newcastle and £100m from Leverkusen respectively – have struggled to get up to speed in the Premier League this season, and have found themselves used sparingly by Slot.

Ahead of a busy run of fixtures leading into the festive period, which starts with the visit of high-flying Sunderland to Anfield on Wednesday night before Saturday’s trip to Leeds, Slot admitted the pair, as well as defender Joe Gomez, are still not fit enough to play successive full matches on weekends and in midweek.

“I think they are not able to play three 90 minutes in a week, that’s for sure,” Slot said. “I will have to see how they feel today and if they are ready to start again. All three are able to play in all three games if they don’t get an injury.”

He added: “Florian [Wirtz] had missed one or two weeks of training, so for him to already play so many minutes is a good thing. It was encouraging to see Florian playing that well, it was not the first time he has played well for us.

“And also Alex [Alexander Isak] as well. He told me yesterday he felt a bit of cramp coming up already, so we will see how he trains today.”

Gomez played at right-back against West Ham in the absence of the injured Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong, and Slot suggested it was unlikely the duo would return agaisnt Sunderland.

“Conor got into a team training session yesterday for the first time. Not everything 100 per cent yet so we have to manage that so don’t get hopes up too soon. We expect the same with Jeremie next week. Unfortunately we play a lot of games, so he’ll miss a few.

“Hopefully Conor is available for Leeds.”

More about

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Most popular

Popular videos

Bulletin

Read next