Arne Slot says Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz are ‘not able’ start next two Liverpool games

Liverpool’s lavish summer signings Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz are not able to play three full matches in a short time frame, manager Arne Slot has admitted.

Isak played 68 minutes of Liverpool’s 2-0 win over West Ham on Sunday before he was replaced by Hugo Ekitike, while Wirtz played 75 minutes before making way for Curtis Jones.

Isak and Wirtz – bought for £125m from Newcastle and £100m from Leverkusen respectively – have struggled to get up to speed in the Premier League this season, and have found themselves used sparingly by Slot.

Ahead of a busy run of fixtures leading into the festive period, which starts with the visit of high-flying Sunderland to Anfield on Wednesday night before Saturday’s trip to Leeds, Slot admitted that the pair, as well as defender Joe Gomez, are still not fit enough to play successive full matches on weekends and midweek.

“I think they are not able to play three 90 minutes in a week, that’s for sure,” Slot said. “I will have to see how they feel today and if they are ready to start again. All three are able to play in all three games if they don’t get an injury.”

He added: “Florian [Wirtz] had missed one or two weeks of training, so for him to already play so many minutes is a good thing. It was encouraging to see Florian playing that well, it was not the first time he has played well for us. And also Alex [Alexander Isak] as well.

“He [Isak] told me yesterday he felt a bit of cramp coming up already, so we will see how he trains today.”

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