Arne Slot said Alexander Isak is ready to return to the starting lineup for Liverpool’s trip to face Crystal Palace as Hugo Ekitike serves a suspension.
Ekitike scored a late winner as Liverpool knocked Southampton out of the Carabao Cup this week, but was shown a second yellow card after taking off his shirt in celebration, leaving him suspended for Saturday’s visit to Selhurst Park.
After Isak missed pre-season, Slot is concerned he is still not ready to play a full match.
“He's able to make minutes again,” Slot confirmed. “I still feel 90 – [it] depends also on the pace and the intensity of the game – might be a bit too much.
“I don't think it's smart to play him 90 yet. But he's further into his pre-season now and normally after two or three weeks in pre-season players go to 60, 70 minutes, and in some clubs they even bring them to 90.
“But if you look at our pre-season, we mainly bring them to 60 to 70 minutes then.”
Slot was incensed after Ekitike’s red card, branding the move as “needless and stupid,” but has confirmed that the Frenchman was not fined for his actions.
“If disciplined means that I spoke to him then it's disciplined – but I don't think that is disciplined. Disciplined means a fine – and that he didn't get.
“It wasn't very smart what he did, what he recognised himself immediately straight away, so he said sorry straight away to his teammates.
“He's young. Players of all ages do make mistakes and that's what he did in this situation as well. But we all make mistakes and you're allowed at this club to make a mistake without immediately getting fined or these kind of things.”
He continued, saying Ekitike’s suspension will complicate his selection for Saturday: “It didn't hurt us [on] Tuesday evening, it might hurt us a bit more tomorrow.”
