SOCCER: Isak ready for team training return after injury layoff in boost for Liverpool, Sweden

Liverpool striker Alexander Isak is set to return to team training this week following a long absence due to a broken leg, manager Arne Slot confirmed. His comeback is also a significant boost for Sweden ahead of the World Cup.

The 26-year-old underwent surgery after breaking his leg in December while scoring Liverpool’s opening goal in a 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur.

Sweden secured their place at the World Cup with a playoff win over Poland on Tuesday, and Slot said the news adds to the positive momentum for Isak.

“I think Alex is in a really good place because Sweden qualified for the World Cup yesterday evening, and apart from that, he’s going to train with the group again for the first time tomorrow,” Slot told club media on Wednesday.

“Of course, it’s only his first session after three or four months out, but it’s good to have him back because we all know who we signed, and we’ve signed an incredible striker. To have him in a team that generates quite a lot of chances—maybe not immediately starting from the first moment—but having him back for the last two months is very helpful for us.”

Liverpool, currently fifth in the Premier League, will host Fulham on Saturday.

The World Cup runs from June 11 to July 19 in North America, with Sweden placed in Group F alongside the Netherlands, Japan, and Tunisia.

-Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford/Reuters