Alexander Isak is now ready to start firing for Liverpool – Arne Slot

Alexander Isak has scored just one goal for Liverpool (Adam Davy/PA)

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot insists British record signing Alexander Isak’s season starts now as he believes the striker has finally reached a level where he will be fully effective.

The £125million transfer has played just 313 minutes over six appearances, scoring just once in a Carabao Cup win over Southampton, since his move from Newcastle on deadline day as the club sought to ease him into life at Anfield after he missed the whole of pre-season.

Isak has played an additional minutes 198 minutes for Sweden, although in two full World Cup qualifiers over the international break he failed to find the net against Kosovo or Switzerland.

However, ahead of the visit of arch-rivals Manchester United, Slot said the 26-year-old was now ready to go.

Liverpool’s Alexander Isak is ready to go, according to his boss (Adam Davy/PA)

“I think now he has had his five, six weeks of pre-season which is normal for every player, especially if you have been out for three or four months,” said the Dutchman.

“Fitness-wise he is close to the level he should be and we can judge him in a fair way from now on.

“I know how this industry works, if he plays there (Sweden) twice and doesn’t score that’s not what you’re hoping for, of course.

“You are hoping if they go to the national team they score goals like Cody (Gakpo) did, like Virgil (van Dijk) did, like Dominik (Szoboszlai) did, like (Alexis) Mac Allister did but he didn’t.

“His pre-season has maybe finished now, he has played a few games 70, 80, 90 minutes so let’s see where he is in the upcoming weeks.”

Fitness-wise he is close to the level he should be and we can judge him in a fair way from now on

Isak is not the only player who has struggled over the early part of the season.

Even before they lost three games in a week, a number of Slot’s squad had been under-performing, including the likes of midfielder Alexis Mac Allister and Mohamed Salah.

The former is another who has been affected by a lack of full fitness but, after scoring twice in Argentina’s friendly win over Venezuela, Slot hopes he is back to his best.

“One thing is clear is that he missed out on a lot, unfortunately. He went out (injured) immediately after we won the league and we were expecting him to be back for the start of pre-season, which he wasn’t,” added the head coach.

“That led to the fact he wasn’t able to play three times in a row, so he went in-out, in-out 60 minutes, 45 minutes, and that is never an ideal scenario for a player.

“But like all the others he is a player who has experienced so much already in his career he will be back at the level he wants and the level I want from him.”

Mohamed Salah was scrutinised for his defensive contribution against Chelsea (Adam Davy/PA)

Salah, whose return of four goals in 10 games is below his expected high levels, also scored twice as Egypt secured World Cup qualification against Djibouti, but he has come in for scrutiny for his all-round contribution, particularly defensively against Chelsea, who targeted Liverpool’s right side.

“I heard the comments from Marc Cucurella and saw how they scored the 2-1, but I can also show you the five or six moments where Mo could have made the difference for us,” Slot added.

“If that had happened, we would have had the conversation like we did last season where he made the difference so many times for us. If that doesn’t happen then there are probably comments like this.”