Arne Slot provides Isak injury update after Villa absence

Slot then added: “I expect him to train with us this week, but I cannot give any guarantees.”

That uncertainty sums up a difficult campaign for the 26-year-old, who has never really been able to build rhythm since arriving from Newcastle.

A disrupted pre-season put him behind, a broken leg made things worse and Ekitike’s Achilles injury then increased the pressure on him just as Liverpool needed a reliable No.9.

Liverpool need more from Isak

Stephen Warnock has already delivered a brutal assessment of Isak’s season, saying: “Isak’s a two out of 10, isn’t he?”

The former defender added: “He’s done nothing. He hasn’t contributed at all.”

Chris Sutton was similarly dismissive a few weeks ago, saying: “I wouldn’t touch Isak, and Wirtz – terrible, terrible.”

That criticism feels harsh when injuries have clearly shaped Isak’s season, but it also reflects the reality that Liverpool paid a huge fee and haven’t had anything close to enough return.

With Champions League football still not fully secured after the Villa defeat, even a short Brentford cameo could matter.

But next season simply has to be different, because Liverpool can’t afford for such an expensive signing to remain this peripheral.