isak is running in individual sessions as he steps up his recovery from the surgery he underwent in December, but he is not available for Liverpool’s Champions League last-16 second leg at Anfield on Wednesday night (ET), manager Arne Slot said on Tuesday (ET). Slot declared Ibrahima Konate fit for the match while confirming Joe Gomez is a doubt after missing the matchday-minus-one session. Liverpool head into the rematch chasing a turnaround from a 1-0 first-leg deficit in Istanbul.
Konate fit; Gomez a late decision
As of Tuesday (ET) Slot confirmed that Ibrahima Konate, who missed the 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur because of hamstring discomfort, has been declared fit and is available for selection. Slot said Konate no longer feels the discomfort and is “ready to start and hopefully fulfil 90 minutes or, if needed, even longer. ” The head coach framed match recovery constraints around a congested schedule, noting that after heavy playing loads “the day after the game is recovery” and that minutes are being managed closely.
By contrast, Joe Gomez did not take part in the team’s pre-match training on the day before the tie and remains a doubt. Slot explained that Gomez had “too much issues after our last game” and that the defender had already carried problems after the Galatasaray match, forcing him into the Spurs lineup. “Joe, we will decide that tomorrow, ” Slot said, adding that Gomez will attempt to train to prove his availability.
Isak: individual work, not ready for selection
isak continues to progress through individual sessions on the pitch but is not yet ready to rejoin team training. Slot was clear that “Alex is not available for tomorrow, ” and emphasised the challenge of moving from months of only individual work to full-team training and then to Premier League or Champions League intensity. The manager noted that seeing isak on the training ground is a sign he “gets closer and closer to joining us again, ” but stressed there is no definitive timeline for a return while he remains outside team sessions.
Immediate reactions and what comes next
Slot’s tone on Tuesday (ET) combined cautious optimism and pragmatism. On Konate he was upbeat: “he is at this moment of time [ready to play]. ” On Gomez he warned that accumulated workload had “built up so much that now he’s a bit of a doubt for tomorrow, ” while on isak he reiterated the layered steps required to return from surgery: individual sessions, team training, then match intensity.
Looking ahead, Liverpool will confirm final team selections after the last training session prior to the match; Slot said decisions on Gomez will be made “tomorrow. ” For isak, the immediate milestone remains joining full team training — only after that will staff consider him for match action. The club’s priority is clear: manage minutes for Konate, assess Gomez in the final session, and protect isak’s long-term recovery as Liverpool hunt a result on Wednesday night (ET).
