Arne Slot Says Isak Out With Minor Injury Before Aston Villa
arne slot said Alexander Isak was out with a minor injury and did not make Liverpool’s squad for Friday night’s match at Aston Villa. Jeremie Frimpong was also left out, leaving Liverpool short again as the season moves into the late stages and the club keeps chasing Champions League qualification.
Isak and Frimpong miss out
Slot did not dress up the issue. “Indeed, Alex is out – minor injury,” he said before kickoff. He added that Liverpool had been careful with the striker after a difficult season that started with a lack of match fitness and a run of niggles, then included a broken leg in January.
Frimpong’s absence cut into the squad in a different way. He signed from Bayer Leverkusen last summer and has been dealing with persistent hamstring problems, leaving Liverpool without another player they brought in to help strengthen the group.
Liverpool's bench shortage
The manager said the wider problem was larger than one forward or one fullback. “Today we miss nine players that can start a game of football,” Slot said, a blunt line that explained why Liverpool’s options were thinner for a crunch fixture.
Two more names were on the bench but not available from the start. “The good thing is that Florian is on the bench, Mo is on the bench. Both not able to start,” he said of Florian Wirtz and Mohamed Salah. That left Liverpool to manage a lineup with several regular starters unavailable or limited before a Premier League match that mattered in the race for a Champions League place.
Slot's careful approach
Slot tied Isak’s setback to the way Liverpool have handled him since last summer, when he joined from Newcastle. “I think it’s something we all understand, if you miss pre-season, if you then have a broken leg, when you are coming back we’ve been really careful with him,” he said.
He added that the club had expected setbacks along the way. “But, of course, Hugo Ekitike was injured,” Slot said. “And then it’s not a surprise I think that you can pick up minor injuries like this.” For Liverpool, the immediate issue is simple: an already stretched squad had to go into Aston Villa without Isak, Frimpong, and two more high-profile attackers only fit enough for the bench.
