Alexander Isak substitution explained as Liverpool get bad news after huge win

Arne Slot has confirmed that Alexander Isak's half-time withdrawal during Liverpool's 5-1 rout of Eintracht Frankfurt was due to a possible groin injury. The Reds returned to winning ways in Germany courtesy of goals from Hugo Ekitike, Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate in the first half, which Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai added to with second-half finishes.

But Isak was taken off at half-time after a quiet first 45 minutes which saw him manage two shots on target but little else. And after Jeremie Frimpong was earlier forced off injured just 19 minutes in, Slot has shared that the £125million Swedish striker was also substituted due to a fitness concern. Slot told TNT Sports: "Alex had to go off at half-time because he felt his groin a little bit.

"That's a pity. I've said many times it is such a difficult balance to find with a player that missed out three months [of football]. You bring him slowly and people argue about playing him longer.

"We've now started him for the second time in three days and unfortunately he had to go off. Let's hope for the best but it is not an easy balance to find if a player has been out for so long."

The Dutchman added after a victory which ended a four-match losing streak: "We needed a win. What we needed more was another performance where we create a lot of chances but the players get the reward with a win. That's what happened today.

"I saw a lot of similarities today compared to the other games because the first chance they got was a goal - maybe it was the only chance they had today - and we went 3-1 up, and it's maybe easier to control a game when you're 3-1 up than if you are 1-0 or 2-1 down.

"But the main difference between this game and the four before was that in most of them, the other team scored from a set-piece and this time, we scored from two set-pieces.

"Then people focused more on the attacks we had in the second half rather than the misplaced passes, which we probably had today as well. But when you're 3-1 up, you are judged differently."

Goalscorer Ekitike, now in line to be the sole centre-forward at Brentford on Saturday, was delighted after scoring against his former club. The Frenchman joined Liverpool from Frankfurt for a fee that could rise to £79million and is now on six goals in 12 appearances.

"It was a great feeling [to come back to Frankfurt]. It was something special to come back home," he said. "To win and score my first Champions League goal here was important. I just keep it calm and cool. I knew he would come and open his legs so I put it between the legs and that worked.

"I have very good team mates, staff and I love my life here. I hope I can keep going because it's about consistency in football. I feel really good and they have helped me a lot, that is why I am calm and doing my thing."

On playing with Isak, Ekitike added: "I think it was good. We can improve together and he is a very good player, we need to work together and find a good association."