Arne Slot Discloses the True Reason Behind Alexander Isak’s Half-Time Substitution

Arne Slot has revealed the reason behind Alexander Isak’s half-time substitution in Liverpool’s 5-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt.

The Reds were 3-1 ahead at the interval thanks to goals from Hugo Ekitike, Virgil van Dijk, and Ibrahima Konaté. It was the first time Slot started both Ekitike and Isak together since their summer arrivals at Anfield.

Isak, who joined Liverpool for £125 million on deadline day after a difficult summer at Newcastle — where he refused to train with the first team — has been gradually building his match fitness. The forward had started four consecutive matches for club and country, so his early withdrawal raised concerns among fans.

Slot later confirmed to TNT Sports that Isak was taken off due to groin discomfort, saying:

> “Let’s hope it’s not too bad. It’s always tricky finding the right balance with a player who has missed three months. You try to ease him in slowly, but people wonder why he can’t play more or longer. This was his second game in three days, and unfortunately, he had to come off.”

Isak’s groin issues have been a recurring problem. During the 2023/24 season, he missed several weeks between October and November, and suffered another setback in January. Even toward the end of last season, he experienced minor recurrences that caused him to miss a handful of games.

Former Newcastle manager Eddie Howe had previously admitted the root cause of the recurring injuries was still unclear, saying:

> “It’s not something that requires surgery — it’s probably more about what he’s doing to strengthen that area.”

Isak is now a doubt for Liverpool’s upcoming Premier League clash with Brentford on Saturday at the Gtech Community Stadium.