Alexander Isak breaks silence on Liverpool fitness after Hugo Ekitike nightmare

Liverpool strikerAlexander Isakhas said his fitness levels are on the up after scoring his first goal for the Reds. The Sweden international managed to find the back of the net in just 45 minutes duringLiverpool's Carabao Cup victory over Southampton.

Despite being substituted at half-time for Hugo Ekitike, Isak was seen sprinting across the Anfield pitch during the break. The British record signing has had his fitness levels closely monitored having missed pre-season with Newcastle United.

Since joining Liverpool, Isak has started twice - against Southampton and Atletico Madrid - and made an appearance off the bench in the Merseyside derby triumph over Everton. While the £125million signing remained cautious when discussing his fitness, the 26-year-old shared some hopeful words after scoring his first goal for the club

"It was good to get some more minutes on the way to getting fit," Isak told Sky Sports. "I feel good, I feel fit of course.

"Obviously it's still early. A new club and new team-mates but I feel good. I think it's a great team to be a part of and with all of the games I get it's only going to get better."

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Isak could be handed his first Premier League start for Liverpool following Ekitike's dismissal against the Saints.

The French forward was initially cautioned for his reaction to a referee's decision early in the second half, before collecting a second yellow for whipping off his shirt after putting Liverpool back in front. Ekitike will serve a suspension for Liverpool's journey to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace this weekend, potentially paving the way for Isak to get the nod if manager Arne Slot considers him match-ready.

The Reds frontman had settled seamlessly into English football during his opening weeks and netted five times in seven domestic outings. But Slot was far from pleased with Ekitike's actions and is hoping the incident serves as a valuable lesson. "I hope so, but not because it was a second yellow card," said Slot.

"I think it's also stupid if you haven't had a yellow card. Maybe I'm a bit old fashioned or a bit old school, but I did score a few goals, not at this level.

"If, maybe, I beat three players, which I never did, and then hit it in the top corner, then maybe you can say, 'This is all about me.' But if I had to score a goal like he did tonight, I would have turned around and walked up to Federico Chiesa and say, 'It's all about you Federico, great assist.

"But, that's maybe me being a bit old school. It was stupid in every sense. The good thing was that his team-mates helped him. But he is now suspended for Saturday and that is far from ideal."