Liverpool get huge Alexander Isak boost after deadline day record transfer

Alexander Isak played his first match since May on Monday night - coming on as a 72nd-minute substitute during Sweden’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Kosovo in Pristina.

The game will live long in infamy for Swedes - with Jon Dahl Tomasson’s side going down to a shock 2-0 defeat.

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It follows on from a disappointing 2-2 draw against Slovenia on matchday one - meaning the all-star Swedish lineup risks losing out on a place in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

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Due to the shock nature of the result - and the paucity of the overall performance - Isak’s comeback has become somewhat of a sideshow.

Isak back in the game

After the game Isak and his manager were fielding questions about his return to the field - denying that there was an agreement with Liverpool over restricting his playing time.

“That was the maximum number of minutes I could give him,” Tomasson told Viaplay according to the Swedish media.

The 25-year-old has played NO football since the of the Premier League season - and - famously - has not had a preseason either. He rejected calls to join Newcastle’s Asian tour - and then sat out the first three Premier League games of the season.

There is no doubt that the new Liverpool No9 will be rusty - and he played no part in the draw at the weekend. Still there are some encouraging signs for Liverpool fans to take from Isak’s own individual performance.

Isak in decent shape on his return

The £125m man was summoned by Tomasson to rescue a lost cause - with Kosovo already two goals to the good by the time he arrived on to the pitch.

But Isak looked sharp - having four shots according to Sofascore - and was unlucky not to score with one smartly taken chance. Ari Muric stood up well to Isak’s shot - after the forward had expertly dragged himself into the clear with a deft left-footed touch.

Overall Isak had 18 touches - the man he replaced on 72 minutes, Anthony Elanga, had only 37 in the game - and won the only aerial duel he competed for.

Isak booked in bad-tempered clash

Isak did however have a yellow card - following a bad-natured brawl between the two sets of players. Muharrem Jashari was upended by a poor challenge from Sweden’s Anton Saletros.

Isak and Fidan Aliti went head-to-head thereafter in a clash that Swedish sources claim wasn’t shown in its entirety on television.

So it wasn’t a dream comeback that Isak would have dreamed of. He “wasn’t on long enough to rate”, according to Expressen’s Player Ratings article.

Nonetheless he looked ready and willing to get back to his best.

It’s going to be a long road - and patience will be required due to the unsettled nature of the striker’s summer.

But if Liverpool can get him up to speed - and we know there are plans to do just that - then it won’t be long until he’s paying off his transfer fee.

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