Alexander Isak returns to Liverpool after suffering thigh injury on Sweden duty

Alexander Isak has returned to Liverpool after sustaining a minor thigh injury during Sweden’s 2-1 Nations League victory over Romania.

The striker scored after 20 minutes at the Friends Arena, giving Sweden an early lead before Romania’s Dennis Man equalised with 29 minutes played.

Viktor Gyokeres restored Sweden’s advantage in the 43rd minute, securing victory for Graham Potter’s side and moving them to the top of Group H. Sweden and Bosnia and Herzegovina each have a point after their goalless draw.

Isak has now left the Sweden camp and will miss the national team’s three remaining fixtures during the current international break.

Liverpool said in a statement: “Alexander Isak is to return to Liverpool from international duty due to a minor injury.

“The striker will not be involved in Sweden’s three remaining fixtures in the current international break and will now be assessed by club medical staff at the AXA Training Centre.

“The Reds’ season resumes when Manchester City visit Anfield on Sunday October 11.”

Potter confirmed the injury before Sweden’s upcoming matches against Poland, Bosnia and Romania, and admitted it was disappointing to lose Isak.

“It’s frustrating for him and obviously for us. It is what it is but we move forward with the players we have,” he said in his pre-match press conference.

“It’s not a big one but because of the amount of games we’ve got in a small space of time, he won’t be able to make those.”

The Sweden manager said his squad had enough strength to cope with the absence, while acknowledging that Isak’s qualities could not be directly replaced.

“We’ve got a really big squad that we believe in. Clearly there’s not another Alexander Isak, that’s obvious,” Potter said.

“In an ideal world, we want all our players available, but the reality is we don’t have Alex for this game, clearly whoever comes in, we’re not going to ask them to be Alex.

“They just need to be themselves in the best way they can.”