Isak must rise to the occasion for Liverpool following Ekitike’s injury.

It aligns with the narrative of Liverpool’s season that the injury incurred by striker Hugo Ekitike during the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal loss to Paris Saint-Germain will not only hinder this season but also jeopardize plans for the next one.

Currently, Liverpool is facing a series of challenges, and the sight of top-scorer Ekitike being carried off on a stretcher on Tuesday night due to a ruptured Achilles only intensified the prevailing sense of despair that has affected every aspect of the Reds’ disappointing Premier League title defense.

The 23-year-old has been a rare source of hope since his initial £69 million transfer from Eintracht Frankfurt last summer, but he now appears set to be sidelined for a minimum of nine months, which will thwart his aspirations of competing with France in the 2026 World Cup and of building on his commendable debut season at Anfield.

A silver lining for Liverpool is that they have a £125 million striker available in Alexander Isak, who joined the club from Newcastle United on deadline day last September after one of the most drawn-out and contentious transfer sagas in top-flight history. However, despite the excitement surrounding his British-record signing, a combination of injuries, subpar form, and questionable fitness has thus far hindered the Sweden international from meeting expectations.

Isak has played only 859 minutes across all competitions for Liverpool—merely a quarter of the time he spent with Newcastle last season, where he scored 27 goals in all competitions and earned a spot in the PFA Team of the Year. This season, the 26-year-old has found the net just three times—two in the Premier League—and has started only 11 of the Reds’ 50 matches.

Head coach Arne Slot has previously acknowledged that fans might have to wait until next season to witness the “best Alex,” but with Ekitike unavailable and UEFA Champions League qualification at stake, that goal must now be accelerated.

PSG gamble backfired but Isak “ready” to play

Isak’s inconsistent Anfield tenure is highlighted by the fact that, while scoring the opening goal against Tottenham Hotspur in December, he also suffered a fibula fracture that sidelined him for 100 days.

After returning to make brief appearances off the bench against PSG at the Parc des Princes and Fulham in the Premier League, the Sweden international was given his first start in over four months in the second leg of his team’s quarterfinal match on Tuesday night, with Slot indicating before the match that the striker was unlikely to play more than 45 minutes.

While Slot faced criticism for his honesty, there was some rationale in his decision to include Isak in the starting lineup alongside Ekitike, given that Liverpool required two goals to equalize the aggregate score.

With the possibility of extra time, Slot chose to take a risk on Isak making an early impact rather than needing to substitute him and then replace him after the break. Ultimately, however, it was a calculated gamble that did not pay off. Isak had only five touches in the first half and was mostly on the fringes of the action before being substituted for Cody Gakpo at halftime.

Mohamed Salah—who was initially slated to replace Isak—was called into action earlier than planned due to Ekitike’s injury, and the decision not to start the Egyptian international following his impressive goal against Fulham sparked debate. “I can’t believe it, that he [Salah] is not playing,” former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher stated on CBS Sports before the match. “I can’t understand why. The manager will have his reasons, but Isak is nowhere near fit.

“Mo Salah didn’t play in the first leg, so he’s not like some of the players who played last week and then played at the weekend in the Premier League. He played in the Premier League, he scored a goal, he’s still one of Liverpool’s, probably Liverpool’s best goal scorer. He’s accustomed to this system; Isak’s never really played with Ekitike before.”

Indeed, the lack of chemistry between Isak and Ekitike was evident. Tuesday marked only the second occasion the duo had started a match alongside £100 million summer acquisition Florian Wirtz, with Ekitike’s early departure meaning the trio—brought in to assist Slot in establishing a legacy after Jurgen Klopp’s departure from Anfield—have shared the pitch for merely 115 minutes this season.

Those looking for positives from Isak’s largely inconspicuous performance could note that the striker produced Liverpool’s first shot on target of the tie, directing a header from Dominik Szoboszlai’s set piece into the hands of PSG goalkeeper Matvei Safonov. He also had another opportunity when played through by Ryan Gravenberch, although he was flagged offside after misjudging his run. The play was reminiscent of his goal against Tottenham and provided hope that, once more familiar with his teammates, Isak will demonstrate the clinical finishing ability that prompted Liverpool to invest heavily in him.

“He was twice close to a goal and that’s why you play a striker of his caliber,” Slot remarked in his post-match press conference. “There was one header from a set-piece and one great run in behind (Willian) Pacho where he was really close to scoring which was eventually offside. It’s good to have him back. He was ready and if I thought he wasn’t ready then I wouldn’t have played him.”

play1:28Laurens confirms Ekitike ruptured Achilles

Julien Laurens shares details of Hugo Ekitike’s Achilles injury as he faces months on the sidelines.

Isak “driving” his own future

Certainly, Isak’s preparedness for action could be crucial in shaping how strongly Liverpool concludes the season. They face a challenging series of fixtures ahead, including matches against top-five contenders Manchester United, Chelsea, and Aston Villa, with the results of these games likely to influence the atmosphere surrounding Slot as summer approaches.

The first of these critical fixtures occurs this weekend, when Liverpool faces Everton in the first Merseyside derby at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Isak made his Premier League debut for the Reds against their city rivals back in September, when Slot’s team was soaring at the top of the table.

The situation at Anfield is markedly different from how it was seven months ago, but there would be few better ways for Isak to win over the Liverpool fanbase than by scoring against Everton. With Salah expected to depart the club in the summer, the upcoming weeks could signal a transition, with Isak anticipated to become the focal point on Merseyside once the influential Egyptian forward leaves.

With only one match per week to manage until the season concludes, the opportunity for additional training time could also be vital in fostering the developing relationships between Isak and his teammates. Having progressed from the Swedish Allsvenskan, through the German Bundesliga and Spain’s LaLiga, to the heights of the Premier League, the striker is well-acquainted with the necessity of hard work.

“He is driving his future,” Peter Wennberg, who coached Isak during his time at AIK in Stockholm, told ESPN last year. “He is not letting his destiny be in anyone else’s hands. He is driving it.”

For Liverpool, now would be an ideal moment for Isak to begin guiding them toward success.