Sweden national team manager Jon Dahl Tomasson warned that Alexander Isak’s spirits were higher than his fitness levels after a summer spent training in isolation ahead of his move to Liverpool.

Isak sat out Newcastle United’s pre-season tour of Asia with what was publicly described as a “minor thigh injury” before travelling to his former employers Real Sociedad for individual training. Amid the unresolved saga of his future, Isak rejected any requests to be reintegrated into Newcastle’s squad.

As Liverpool and the Magpies remained locked in a steely impasse, Isak spent much of his final few weeks on Tyneside thrashing shots into empty nets and passing balls off a rebound wall, per The Guardian.

This less-than-rigorous regime has not afforded Isak any of the match sharpness of his new Liverpool teammates. The 25-year-old was called up by Sweden and ended his self-imposed exile from collective training earlier this week.

“I saw him smiling, have you seen his face?” Tomasson beamed when in discussion with reporters. “He is so happy to be here, he is so happy to play, so I think that tells you a lot. He really likes being in a group.

“Of course his form is what I said the other day, normally in pre-season you play plenty of games, plenty of training but that is not the case. So is he able to play 90 minutes? Of course not.

“Are we going to do stupid things with Alex? No, we are not going to do stupid things with Alex. So we, of course, have a plan but he is smiling and he is happy to be here.”

Unlike many European nations, Sweden are yet to begin their World Cup qualifying campaign. Isak’s national team travel to Slovenia on Friday evening before another away match against Kosovo on Monday. It remains to be seen what role Isak plays in either fixture, but Tomasson’s decision will not be dictated by the club which just spent £125 million ($168.4 million) on his services.

“No instruction [from Liverpool],” the Swedish boss confirmed, “we always have good connections with a lot of clubs, I have spoken to the manager. Our doctor has spoken to their doctor. Our physio Ben [Rosen] has spoken to their physio and the physical department at Liverpool. And normal communication we have with each club, it is quite honest.”

Isak is set to feature for Liverpool in some capacity for the first time against Burnley on Sep. 14. The record arrival’s first home game is an enticing visit from Atlético Madrid in the Champions League before he is thrown into the fury of his first Merseyside derby at Anfield three days later.

READ THE LATEST LIVERPOOL NEWS, TRANSFER RUMORS AND MORE


This article was originally published on www.si.com as Liverpool Receive Alexander Isak Fitness Update After Summer Exile.