Arne Slot is confident Alexander Isak will return from injury as a better player for Liverpool.
The Sweden international has endured a miserable first season on Merseyside following his British-record £120million move from Newcastle last summer.
Isak has been sidelined since breaking a leg in the act of scoring at Tottenham just before Christmas but Slot revealed he has started running again as he looks to return before the end of the season.
He said: “Alex has been on the pitch with his running shoes for the first time this week so it will still be a while. It’s not before they go on the pitch they are in bed 24 hours a day. But it’s nice for him to go on the pitch and nice to see him there. You do know you’re in your final stages of rehab.
“Next step is of course doing work with the ball and then going into the group and it takes a while before you’re ready to play. It’s nice that rehab has gone well, compliment to him and our medical staff.”
We’re expecting a different player when Isak returns – Slot
Although he is unlikely to make a huge impact when he is gradually reintroduced, Slot believes a proper pre-season – Isak’s stand-off with Newcastle denied him one last year – will see him finally fire at Anfield.
The Dutchman added: “It will give us a different player to what we have had up to now but we’re expecting a different player at the end of this season compared to what he has done up to now.
“Unforunately for him and us we haven’t seen the best Alex. We will next season. We all know the moment you go on to the pitch it doesn’t take three months anymore [to be back]. But these final stages it can change. Let’s not put a timescale on it but it’s clear he will be available if things go as planned this season.
“It will be somewhere around the international break, depends on if he gets a setback. End of March, start of April when he’s back with the group. Doesn’t mean he’s ready to start playing straight away.”
Slot happy with Liverpool improvement
Liverpool visit Nottingham Forest on Sunday looking to maintain their challenge for a Champions League qualifying place.
Forest won 3-0 at Anfield earlier in the season but the defending champions have been much better since that point, losing just twice – both in the dying seconds – in the league.
Slot added: “We have improved compared to three, four months ago. We are in a much better place. There are more reasons, but the most simple two is how fit we are and that we are much better at set-pieces at the moment.”
Former Wolves boss Vitor Pereira will take charge of Forest in the Premier League for the first time at the weekend – the Tricky Trees’ fourth manager of the season – and Slot will be keeping a close eye on their Europa League clash at Fenerbahce tonight.
He said: “We only have tonight to see if this new manager changes personnel. The good thing is they have that game, and the manager was in the Premier League last season.”
