Slot spoke on Friday ahead of Sunday's Premier League meeting away to Burnley, Liverpool's first match since Alexander Isak was recruited to the club on the last day of the transfer window.
Liverpool coach took the opportunity at the press conference to lavish praise on Sweden's national team captain Jon Dahl Tomasson, who only gave Isak a total of 20 minutes of playing time during the two qualifying matches for the World Championship.
He got one of the best strikers in the world – or maybe the best – and they were going to play two very important matches with the national team. But he understood that if he was going to play 90 minutes twice, the player would probably have been injured for several weeks. It's not always easy for a coach, that he took care of the player's interests, says Arne Slot.
”Build him up”
Liverpool will, just like the national team, rush slowly with Alexander Isak.
We will treat Alex the same way. Don't expect him to play 90 minutes in every match, that will definitely not be the case in the coming weeks. We have to build him up gradually. We haven't recruited him for the next two weeks, but for six years, says Slot.
Missed preseason
Isak refused to train and play with Newcastle during the summer, because he wanted to be sold to Liverpool, and has therefore not received any proper preseason training.
This is what the fans have to think about if I substitute him or only let him in for a few minutes. It's in that case with regard to the player's long-term health, says Arne Slot, who also expressed his great joy at now having the 25-year-old Swede in the squad.
It's good for the club, for our fans, for the players and for me. That all the work that was put in resulted in Alex signing with us.
After the meeting with Burnley, Liverpool will play two home matches next week – against Atlético Madrid in the Champions League and against local rivals Everton in the league.
