It’s the mother of all international breaks, and we’re now in the portion of it where new injury concerns are arising. Kai Havertz of Arsenal/Germany was the first major one, this past Friday. Now we have Alexander Isak, leaving the Sweden camp, to return to Liverpool. Alex Isak suffered through an injury-riddled first campaign at Anfield last season, so naturally, the Merseyside club is on alert, regarding this development.
However, there is some good news, as the injury to Isak is not considered to be a major one.
“Isak has a minor thigh problem,” Sweden national team manager Graham Potter said (credit NBC Sports), after his side beat Romania in the Nations League, 2-1, on Friday night.
“It’s nothing serious, but due to the number of matches in a short period of time, he won’t be able to take part. It’s frustrating for both him and us…It was during the game. Like anything, you sometimes get bumps and bruises in the game, you might think it’s a bit of a dead leg or something.
Isak, who has had a solid start to the 2026-27 season with the Reds, scored a goal for Sweden in this match.
Potter continued: “But actually as the 24 hours, 48 hours after the game, not quite what you think. Unfortunately after getting it checked out, it’s a little bit more than what you think during the match. He has to miss the rest of the camp.”
Potter shed a lot more light on the subject than the Liverpool club statement did.
“Alexander Isak is to return to Liverpool from international duty due to a minor injury,” read the statement on Liverpoolfc.com. “The striker will not be involved in Sweden’s three remaining fixtures in the current international break and will now be assessed by club medical staff at the AXA Training Centre.”
The club are optimistic that Alexander Isak will be back in contention to make the next matchday squad. Liverpool’s next match is Sunday October 11 against Manchester City.
Squad Injury Updates: September/October International Break
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Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.