Alexander Isak is expected to report for duty on Liverpool's pre-season tour of the United States later this month, following Sweden's exit from the World Cup on Tuesday evening. Sweden were beaten 3-0 by France in the round of 32, with Kylian Mbappe scoring twice and Bradley Barcola adding another, ending their campaign in New York.
Pre-Season Schedule and International Returns
The defeat means Isak will likely link up with his Liverpool teammates during the second week of their summer tour of the USA. In recent years, Liverpool have given players involved in international tournaments three weeks off before requiring them to report for pre-season training. Isak, who joined the Reds for a British record £125m on September 1, will fly into the club's pre-season base in Chicago later this month to play some part in the tour.
A new era at Liverpool begins under Andoni Iraola at the AXA Training Centre on Monday, July 13, before the squad departs for the States the following week. The Reds jet to the US on Monday, July 20 and will be based in Chicago for the duration of the trip. They will visit Nashville and New York for games against Sunderland and Wrexham on July 25 and July 29, respectively, before concluding the tour back in Illinois against Leeds United at Chicago's Soldier Field on August 2. Iraola then wraps up the summer schedule with two friendlies at Anfield against Monaco and Como on August 9 and 16.
Other Internationals Joining the Squad
Isak will be joined by several other Liverpool internationals who were eliminated at the same stage on Monday. Germany's penalty-shootout loss to Paraguay means Florian Wirtz will be available, alongside Netherlands trio Ryan Gravenberch, Cody Gakpo, and captain Virgil van Dijk, who were also beaten on penalties by Morocco.
Critical Pre-Season for Isak
The period is viewed as critically important for Isak, whose entire pre-season programme was disrupted last year by his acrimonious departure from Newcastle United. The striker was kept off Newcastle's tour of the Far East due to an injury, before training at former club Real Sociedad without permission. Isak was then made to train alone at Newcastle and missed their first three Premier League fixtures, including a 3-2 defeat to Liverpool, before eventually securing his dream move to Anfield.
Liverpool currently have just Alisson Becker, Alexis Mac Allister, and new signing Victor Munoz remaining at the World Cup as the round of 32 continues on Wednesday with England facing DR Congo and Belgium taking on Senegal.
