Arne Slot explains whether Alexander Isak is fit to face Everton after Liverpool debut

Liverpool Football Club is a place where dreams are made, where legends are written, and where pressure comes from every corner of the world. This summer, that pressure focused on one man: Alexander Isak. For months, Liverpool fans begged, prayed, and demanded that their club sign a striker who could bring fear to defenders across Europe. After weeks of rumors, negotiations, and frustration, the deal was done on deadline day. Liverpool smashed the British transfer record to sign the Swedish striker from Newcastle United.

The excitement was unreal. Fans flooded Anfield’s gates, shirts with “Isak 9” sold out within hours, and the city buzzed with the feeling that Liverpool had finally brought in the missing piece of their attack. But one question remained: when would Isak make his debut?

That question was answered on Wednesday night in the Champions League clash against Atletico Madrid. Anfield roared as the tall Swede walked out wearing the red of Liverpool for the first time. For 60 minutes, the crowd saw glimpses of why the club paid so much money. His movement was sharp, his touches neat, and his link-up play with Mohamed Salah and Luis Díaz looked promising. It was his first competitive start since May, yet he didn’t look like a man out of shape. He looked ready.

Arne Slot, Liverpool’s new manager, admitted after the game that he was surprised by how fit Isak seemed. The Dutchman smiled as he spoke, knowing that the fans had waited so long for this moment. But football is cruel, and it doesn’t stop to celebrate. Liverpool had another mountain to climb just three days later — the Merseyside Derby against Everton.

The Derby is more than a football match. It is a battle of pride, family, and city bragging rights. For decades, Liverpool versus Everton has been a clash where form doesn’t matter, where the atmosphere is hostile, and where players become heroes or villains in a single moment. Many fans believed that Isak, the new star, had to be part of it. They wanted him on the pitch from the first whistle.

But Arne Slot had other thoughts.

On Friday, just a day before the Derby, Slot faced the media. Journalists wanted one answer: would Alexander Isak start against Everton? The coach did not give them the assurance they wanted. His words were careful, measured, and filled ith concern.

“We had recovery yesterday,” Slot explained. “We’re going to train this afternoon, so we have to see how they all feel. What I do know is that Alex did feel his body maybe more than ever before after the 60 minutes that he played. So let’s see how he recovers today, then we’re going to think about the line-up.”

Those words landed like a storm. Liverpool fans who had dreamed of seeing Isak scoring against Everton suddenly feared disappointment. The truth was clear: Isak was not 100 percent ready. Playing 60 minutes after months without competitive football had taken its toll. His body ached, his muscles screamed, and Slot was not willing to take risks.

For Liverpool’s medical team, this was no surprise. Over the last year, they had gained praise for keeping the squad fit, avoiding long injury crises, and managing players carefully. To throw Isak into back-to-back matches so soon would have been reckless. Yet the fans did not want to hear that. They wanted their record signing on the pitch, making Everton suffer.

Inside the city, debates grew louder. Some fans argued Slot was right to protect Isak, reminding others of past injuries to strikers who were rushed back too soon. Others, emotional and impatient, said Liverpool had not spent nearly £120 million to bench their superstar in the biggest game of the season so far.

But while Slot played down Isak’s chances of starting, he gave the fans a gift of hope in another area. Curtis Jones, Liverpool’s homegrown midfielder, the Scouser in the team, was back. After missing games against Burnley and Atletico Madrid, Jones had returned to training and Slot confirmed he would be in the squad.

“He’s back in the fray!” Slot said with a smile, enjoying the English phrase. For Liverpool fans, those words meant everything. Jones understands the Derby better than anyone else. Born in Liverpool, raised in the city, and educated in the academy, he knows what it means to wear the red shirt against Everton. His return was not just tactical, it was emotional.

Still, all eyes remained on Isak. Liverpool’s No. 9 is not just a signing. He is a symbol of ambition. He is the man fans believe can take Liverpool back to the very top, fighting Manchester City for titles, striking fear into Real Madrid in Europe, and bringing glory back to Anfield.

As Saturday approached, the tension grew unbearable. Would Slot risk him? Would Isak’s body recover in time? Could the Swede handle the heat of the Derby so soon after his debut?

The truth is that Slot faces a delicate balance. Push Isak too hard, and he risks losing him to injury for weeks. Hold him back, and he risks angering fans and losing momentum. The decision will define not just one game, but perhaps the early chapter of Isak’s Liverpool story.

For now, all that is certain is this: Isak has arrived, and even in one hour against Atletico Madrid, he showed why Liverpool fought so hard to sign him. The Derby may come too soon for him to start, but his time will come. And when it does, the roar of Anfield will be deafening.

Liverpool fans will not forget the summer saga, the record fee, and the dream of seeing their new striker destroy defences. Whether it begins fully against Everton or in the games that follow, Alexander Isak is here, and the Premier League has been warned.

The city waits. The fans pray. The Derby is upon us. And in the heart of Liverpool, one question hangs heavy in the air: will Alexander Isak be the man to write his name in Merseyside Derby history, or will Arne Slot ask the supporters to wait just a little longe