Liverpool's trip to Old Trafford is shaping up to be a tactical minefield for Arne Slot, with £125m striker Alexander Isak now a major doubt for Sunday's crucial Premier League clash. According to reports from the Daily Mail, the Swedish international picked up a groin issue during training, and an upcoming scan will determine just how serious the setback is.

For Liverpool, this fixture is never just another game. Old Trafford is where form, fragility, history, and hostility converge—and the possible absence of Isak strips away another layer of attacking certainty. Slot is already without Mohamed Salah, who picked up a muscle injury against Crystal Palace, and Hugo Ekitike, who is sidelined long-term after an Achilles rupture against PSG. The timing couldn't be worse, with third place and Champions League positioning hanging in the balance.

Isak's injury is particularly frustrating because his first Liverpool campaign has been defined by stops and starts. He only returned last month after breaking his leg in December, and earlier fitness issues—reportedly linked to a disrupted pre-season following his British-record move from Newcastle—have left his debut season feeling fragmented and unresolved. Just last weekend against Crystal Palace, there was a glimpse of what Liverpool bought: a neat finish to open the scoring at Anfield. It felt less like a turning point and more like a reminder of the player who once looked ready to become one of the division's defining forwards.

With Isak now doubtful, Slot's attacking options are suddenly thin. Cody Gakpo emerges as the obvious central option, while deploying Florian Wirtz as a false nine could come into sharper focus. Neither solution is without merit, but neither offers the same profile as Isak, whose movement, height, and directness were meant to be the key to unlocking United's defense. For a match that could define Liverpool's season, Slot will need to find a new plan—and fast.