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Alexander Isak simply cannot catch a break.
The most expensive player in Premier League history continues to wait for his chance to string together more than three consecutive top-flight starts for Liverpool following his $166.6 million (£125 million) summer transfer. Isak's frustrating battle with his own fitness took yet another blow on Friday night when he was left out of the matchday squad for the away fixture at Aston Villa.
Isak had only recently returned from the treatment room against Chelsea last weekend after a "really small" injury kept him out of the defeat to Manchester United on May 3. Liverpool's No. 9 entered the pitch for the final 20 minutes of a flat 1–1 draw with the Blues on Saturday. While he failed to leave any notable mark on the game—Isak didn't register a shot, create a chance, and completed just one pass—it had at least seemed as though he had avoided picking up another setback.
Arne Slot gave no indication that Isak would be absent at Villa Park during his midweek press conference, with attention instead directed toward the fitness of Mohamed Salah and Florian Wirtz—both of whom were included in Friday's squad.
However, Slot confirmed ahead of kickoff that Isak was nursing a "minor injury" and would not be risked. Having already missed 28 Liverpool matches through injury this season, what's one more?
"I think it's something we all understand," Slot said, "if you miss preseason, if you then have a broken leg, when you are coming back. We've been really careful with him."
Liverpool Confirmed Lineup vs. Aston Villa
Starting XI: Giorgi Mamardashvili; Joe Gomez, Ibrahima Konaté, Virgil van Dijk, Milos Kerkez; Ryan Gravenberch, Curtis Jones, Alexis Mac Allister; Dominik Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo, Rio Ngumoha.
Substitutes: Freddie Woodman (GK), Florian Wirtz, Mohamed Salah, Federico Chiesa, Andy Robertson, Trey Nyoni, James McConnell, Mor Talla Ndiaye, Will Wright.
There was positive news for Slot heading into the weekend: both Wirtz and Salah were considered fit enough to take a place on the substitutes bench. The German midfielder has been dealing with a stomach infection in recent weeks, while Salah's Liverpool farewell threatened to end on a quiet note as he watched from the stands.
As Slot had suggested during the week, the club's veteran talisman would be available for the final away match of the season. However, don't expect a lengthy appearance from Salah, who will be restricted to "a few minutes" by Slot as he is carefully managed back from a hamstring issue.
When Will Alexander Isak Return From Injury?
Isak's latest setback is not expected to keep him out for long. Liverpool are reportedly "hopeful" that their headline summer signing will be fit in time for the season's final match against Brentford at Anfield on Sunday, May 24, according to the Daily Mail's Lewis Steele.
How much game time Isak will be given next weekend remains to be seen, though no amount of minutes could compensate for all the playing time he has lost throughout the campaign.
The club's record signing has managed just one Premier League goal at home since making his move from Newcastle United last summer. Remarkably, he has scored more top-flight goals at Anfield against Liverpool (two) than he has for his current club.