Alexander Isak is set to make his first start for Liverpool in their Champions League clash against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night. The Swedish international, who joined the Reds in a British record transfer worth £125 million, has yet to feature for the team since his move to Anfield. He was not included in the squad for Liverpool's recent Premier League victory over Burnley.

Manager Arne Slot commented on Isak's readiness, stating that the player is still adjusting after missing pre-season training at Newcastle due to a stand-off regarding his future. "If you start a season when the players have been off for five weeks, you give them a certain base before they are able to play 45 minutes," Slot explained during a pre-match press conference.

Slot further elaborated on Isak's condition, saying, "We got him from Newcastle in a state where you could see his pre-season was going to start now. He needs proper minutes of training before he has a certain base, let alone for him to play twice in three days."

The manager indicated that while Isak is not yet prepared for a demanding schedule, he will be able to contribute against Atletico. "Alex is far from ready for that schedule of three games in a week, but we could use him today for five minutes and Wednesday 10 and then 15. But we don’t believe that is the way to build him up."

Slot praised the training approach taken in Sweden, which allowed Isak to build his fitness without overexerting himself. He stated, "They did the right thing by giving him good sessions without playing him a lot, and we did the same, so now he will be able to play 45 on Wednesday as a minimum or a little bit more."

However, he cautioned that if Isak plays a full 45 minutes on Wednesday, he may not be able to do the same in the following match against Everton.

In the upcoming match, Isak will join Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah in a revamped front three, with Florian Wirtz positioned as the No 10. Hugo Ekitike will start the match on the bench.