I think that it is now becoming very clear, the Newcastle United medical team worked wonders with Alexander Isak.
Liverpool spending more money than any Premier League club had ever spent, an astonishing £125m+, on a player who is increasingly unavailable.
In his first season at Liverpool, Alexander Isak made only 14 Premier League appearances, eight of those as a starter. As well as one big injury, the striker was also regularly unavailable at other times with more minor injuries, or judged not able to start.
Liverpool played 57 matches in total in the 2025/26 season and Alexander Isak only started 13 of them.
Alexander Isak regularly claimed to have a minor injury issue that kept him out of matches, minor injury issues that keep happening…
I think it felt at Newcastle United that with Alexander Isak, it was as much a mental thing as a physical one when it came to missing matches. Isak making himself unavailable, can’t/won’t play.
The very end of the 2024/25 season it kind of summed him up. Out of the blue Alexander Isak not available for the final Newcastle United away match at Arsenal when United were going for second place, a host of chances created in that first half and if only a quality striker had been available…Arsenal fluking it 1-0 with a long range Rice effort.
The following week, last day of the season and a win would guarantee Champions League football, yet such a lackadaisical performance from Alexander Isak as United lost 1-0 to Everton, Isak looking like he would rather have been anywhere else but on that pitch.
This had happened previously, in between the good and indeed great times, Alexander Isak suddenly unavailable and/or putting in lacklustre performances out of the blue.
That £125m+ Liverpool invested on such a fragile character, looking an ever more staggering amount of cash.
The Newcastle United medical team worked miracles with Alexander Isak. Eddie Howe as well, in terms of physically and mentally getting him to play so many times for United.
When you consider Alexander Isak played in 42 of Newcastle United’s 48 matches last (2024/25) season, it feels a massive surprise now when looking at the stats with Liverpool. Isak started 34 Premier League matches, 41 in all competitions, one NUFC appearance off the bench in the 2024/25 season.
Only Bruno Guimaraes and Dan Burn started more. Bruno starting all 38 Premier League matches that season, 42 in all, whilst for Burn it was 37 PL matches started and 44 in total.
Alexander Isak has now had yet another setback.
Heading back to Merseyside early from the Sweden international camp, Andoni Iraola has admitted that Alexander Isak won’t be playing against Manchester City on Sunday and that has has picked up yet another ‘thigh injury’ that is keeping him out. The Liverpool boss saying that he doesn’t know how long the club’s most expensive player will be missing for this time.
Liverpool are still without the long-term injured Hugo Ekitike and Iraola has confirmed that Cody Gakpo is also now injured and is missing against Manchester City. The Liverpool boss left very short when it comes to options to play up front.
Remember, Alexander Isak scored only six La Liga goals in the season before Newcastle United bought him. Eddie Howe built his team and tactics around him and it all worked brilliantly overall. Newcastle United and their fans saw the best of Alexander Isak and I think Liverpool at best are going to have the Alexander Isak who was a decent striker but no more at Real Sociedad. If he ever stays fit and available…