Liverpool‘s £125million record signing Alexander Isak was substituted against Eintracht Frankfurt because he ‘felt his groin’, Arne Slot revealed post-match.
The Swede was hooked at half time of his side’s Champions League clash with Liverpool cruising at 3-1 despite going one down.
Many presumed Slot’s decision to take off Isak was merely a precautionary one with an important Premier League clash against Brentford on the horizon.
However the Reds’ Dutch boss revealed afterwards that Isak, who has scored just a solitary goal for his new club thus far, had suffered a groin injury.
Speaking to TNT Sports, Slot said: ‘He (Isak) had to go off at half time because he felt his groin a little bit, so that’s a pity.
‘But I’ve said it many times, it’s such a difficult balance to find with a player that missed out three months.
Alexander Isak was withdrawn at half-time of Liverpool’s clash with Eintracht Frankfurt with a ‘groin injury’
The Swede has scored just a solitary goal since joining the Reds from Newcastle United
‘You bring him in slowly, slowly, sometimes people are arguing saying you can’t play him anymore. Now we’ve played him for the second time in three days and unfortunately he had to go off.
‘So let’s hope for the best but it’s not the easiest balance to find if the player’s been out for so long.’
In another blow for Slot and his side, summer recruit Jeremie Frimpong also suffered a knock during his side’s fixture on the continent.
The Dutchman, afforded a start after being left on the bench against Man United, had to be withdrawn after just 19 minutes after going down clutching hamstrong.
It means Liverpool could be without Ryan Gravenberch, Frimpong and Isak for their trip to Brentford on Saturday night. With the Reds now some four points adrift of league leaders Arsenal, the clash in west London is something of a must-win game.
Despite such injury woes, the Merseyside giants’ trip to Frankfurt will certainly go down an a positive one after a difficult few weeks.
Liverpool headed into the clash on the back of four consecutive losses, the most recent coming against rivals Man United at Anfield on Sunday.
Slot named something of a surprising starting eleven for the European game, leaving out Milos Kerkez, Alexis Mac Allister and, more shockingly, Mo Salah.
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Jeremie Frimpong was also withdrawn with a hamstring problem
Liverpool’s trip to Germany will nevertheless go down as a positive one after four consecutive losses
Yet his risky team selection well and truly paid off. Despite suffering an early scare when Frankfurt went 1-0 up, Liverpool kicked into gear as the opening 45 neared its close with three quick-fire goals from Hugo Ekitike, Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate.
Cody Gakpo and Diminik Szoboszlai later made it 5-1 with two goals in the second half to secure a crucial victory for their side heading into the weekend.
