Liverpool injury news: Reds receive fitness boost as Alexander Isak makes firm claim

Liverpool striker Alexander Isak has admitted that he is physically in a better position to play his first full 90 minutes since the final day of last season.

The Reds broke the British transfer record after they signed the Swedish striker from Newcastle United on summer transfer deadline day for a fee of £125m.

Isak had a disjointed pre-season with the Magpies, training alone while trying to engineer a move to Liverpool, and as a result, he has not been able to perform at the level expected from him so far.

The 26-year-old striker has not completed a full 90 minutes since the final day of last season when Newcastle lost 1-0 to Everton, but he thinks he is now ready to take the next step in his fitness plans.

Isak wants to make the best use of international games

During the previous international break, Isak featured for 18 minutes against Kosovo, but he could get more game time in Friday night's World Cup qualifier against Switzerland.

The centre-forward has made six appearances in all competitions for Liverpool so far, managing a goal and an assist, and Arne Slot is hopeful that the team's overall performance will improve once Isak gets back to full fitness.

"Tomorrow I'm ready for 90 minutes if needed," he said ahead of the match, as quoted by The Mirror.

"It's been a month now. I've had a lot more playing time and things have calmed down. I feel in a much better position now than last time."

Big improvement required from Liverpool after the international break

After winning their opening seven games in a row, Liverpool have now suffered three consecutive defeats in all competitions.

The Reds are second in the Premier League table, one point behind Arsenal, but it is their disjointed and lacklustre performances throughout the opening part of the season that have become a major concern.

While Hugo Ekitike has looked a class apart, the likes of Isak and Florian Wirtz have underperformed, leaving fans to speculate whether Slot's system is failing to bring out the best in these players.

Both Isak and Wirtz have shown flashes of brilliance, which gives hope that, over time, as they play more games together, the chemistry on the pitch will gradually improve, leading to better results.

Slot also needs to find a way to play Isak, Ekitike and Wirtz together without hampering the balance, and a big improvement is required after the October international break.

Liverpool will face Manchester United at Anfield after the international break, and Slot will hope that Isak gets more game time for Sweden and builds his fitness, allowing him to start.