FA Cup: Isak Could Make Injury Return Against Man City

Alexander Isak could feature in Liverpool’s FA Cup quarter-final against Manchester City after making his return to team training 101 days after surgery on a broken leg.

Liverpool’s club record £125m signing has been out since 20 December, having fractured his leg and had ankle surgery.

The 26-year-old Sweden striker, who scored three goals in 16 appearances for the Reds before his injury against Tottenham, returned to full training on Thursday.

Head coach Arne Slot said Isak was in contention to play “a few minutes” – but that decision could be complicated by the possibility of extra time being required to decide Saturday’s tie at Etihad Stadium.

“It will take a bit of time to give him a lot of minutes but we will do the right thing in terms of building up his minutes,” Slot said on Isak.

“It is a difficult one because we don’t play a normal game. It could go to extra time so that makes it even more complicated, if we think he can only play 10 minutes and bring him on and then it goes to extra time.

“Maybe [he can play] a few minutes but let’s wait and see how he is today, how he feels about it himself.

“It’s clear after two training sessions in 100 days, it would not make any sense to start him tomorrow.”

Isak had surgery on an ankle injury that included a fibula fracture, sustained following a challenge by Micky van de Ven as Isak scored against Spurs in a 2-1 win.

His season has already been disrupted following the summer-long saga over his transfer from Newcastle United, before he eventually moved to Anfield for a British record fee in September.

“If I look at him now compared to where he was before he got injured, I see a player that is much stronger, physically in a much better place,” Slot said.

“I think I’ve said many times that next season, when he’s had a pre-season, we can expect more from him than now. But even the way he is now is already a big step forward for us compared to what he had when he arrived.”

First-choice goalkeeper Alisson remains sidelined for Liverpool and Slot said on Friday that he does not expect to have the Brazil international available again until “towards the end of the season”.

But Mohamed Salah is fit to face Manchester City and could make his first appearance since announcing that he will leave Liverpool this summer.

The Egypt forward is set to end a nine-year spell which has brought two Premier League titles, the Champions League, Club World Cup, Super Cup and two League Cups.

Asked whether he believes Salah’s impending departure can inspire Liverpool to silverware in the final months of the campaign, Slot said: “For the club, maybe, but for Mo it doesn’t matter if he’s going to leave or if he’s going to stay.

“That’s what he’s shown in all these eight or nine years, that he was always available in his best possible shape, and that doesn’t change in a positive way now he’s leaving.

“I would hope he could give even more but that’s not realistic, because he always gave everything he had and he will try doing that until the end of the season.”