Isak leaves Sweden camp with thigh injury ahead of Liverpool's clash with City

Alexander Isak has been released from Sweden’s international squad with a minor thigh injury and will return to Liverpool, the Swedish Football Association confirmed on Sunday. The striker, who scored in Sweden’s 2-1 Nations League win over Romania on Friday, is ruled out of the country’s three remaining group games.

“He’s got a small problem with his thigh. It’s not a big one but because of the amount of games we’ve got in a small space of time, he won’t be able to make those,” Sweden head coach Graham Potter told reporters. Potter added that Isak appeared to pick up the knock during the Romania match itself, noting that the full extent of such injuries is not always immediately apparent. “Sometimes you get bumps and bruises in the game, you might think it’s a bit of a dead leg or something, but actually as the 24 hours, 48 hours after the game, it’s not quite what you think,” he said.

The timing will concern Liverpool, who face Manchester City at Anfield on 11 October in what is set to be one of the standout Premier League fixtures of the early season. City are the only side with a perfect record in the division so far, and Isak has been central to Liverpool’s own unbeaten start.

The Swede, who joined from Newcastle United for £125 million, is the Premier League’s second-highest scorer this season with four goals in five matches — one behind City’s Erling Haaland. He opened his account with a brace in a 2-0 win over Ipswich and has since netted against Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth.

Isak endured a difficult debut campaign at Anfield, managing only four goals in 22 appearances after fracturing his leg in December. His return to form this season has been one of the more encouraging stories of the early Premier League calendar, making the thigh concern — however minor — a significant one for Arne Slot’s side.

Sweden centre-back Hjalmar Ekdal, who plays for Championship club Burnley, has also left the squad with a minor injury. The Swedish FA confirmed no replacements have been called up.