Alexander Isak got on the scoresheet as Sweden beat Romania 2-1 in the Nations League on Friday, but the Liverpool striker has since been sent back to Merseyside after picking up a thigh injury during the match.
Although Isak was pictured with a bloodied toe after the final whistle — the apparent result of a stamp sustained during the game — Sweden head coach Graham Potter has since clarified that it is a thigh problem which has forced the forward out of the international camp. Isak completed the full 90 minutes at the Strawberry Arena in Stockholm before the issue became apparent in the days that followed.
"He's got a small problem with his thigh," Potter told his pre-match press conference. "It's not a big one but because of the amount of games we've got in a small space of time, he won't be able to make those."
Potter explained how the injury had taken time to reveal its true severity, saying it had initially seemed like a dead leg or a knock during the game, but that over the 24 and 48 hours that followed it proved to be more than first thought. After it was checked out properly, the decision was made that Isak had to miss the rest of the camp.
Liverpool confirmed the withdrawal in a statement, saying Isak would be assessed by medical staff at the AXA Training Centre and would play no part in Sweden's three remaining fixtures against Poland, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Romania. The Swedish FA similarly described the injury as minor, with Burnley centre-back Hjalmar Ekdal also departing the squad for the same reason.
Isak had downplayed the toe issue when speaking to reporters in the mixed zone after the Romania victory, acknowledging the stamp but insisting it had not caused lasting concern. The thigh complaint, which emerged in subsequent days, ultimately proved the more significant problem.
The striker has been in sharp form this season, netting four goals in five Premier League appearances. He scored in the 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest, struck both goals in the 2-0 win over Ipswich, and added the 1-0 winner against Bournemouth. That return already surpasses his haul from a debut campaign severely disrupted by injury, including a broken leg suffered against Tottenham last December that kept him out until April. He managed just four goals in all competitions across that entire first season at Anfield.
Manager Andoni Iraola, speaking after Isak's winner at Bournemouth, made clear he wants more from the striker beyond goals alone. Iraola said Isak needs to be closer to the box, operate more in the opposition half and contribute to meaningful possession, arguing that doing so would bring him even greater rewards in front of goal. Isak agreed with the assessment, saying there are many games where he feels he should contribute more and be more involved, and that the matches where he is less involved are precisely the ones he wants to change.
Liverpool's next fixture sees Manchester City visit Anfield on Sunday, 11 October. Three days after that, the Reds travel to Austria to face LASK in the Champions League.
Reporting: Mirror, CaughtOffside, ESPN, Metro, The Sun, BBC Sport, Evening Standard, Daily Star, talkSPORT, Daily Mail.