Liverpool's Premier League campaign resumes today at Turf Moor against Burnley, with fans eagerly anticipating a possible debut for new signing Alexander Isak. The Reds are aiming to reclaim the top spot in the league after wins by Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.
Isak, the £125 million deadline-day arrival from Newcastle United, has begun training with his new teammates. However, manager Arne Slot has cautioned against expecting too much too soon from the Swedish striker. Slot indicated that Isak's minutes will be carefully managed as he adjusts to his new surroundings and builds up his fitness. "Don't expect him every single game 90 minutes on the pitch – that's definitely not going to happen in the upcoming weeks,” Slot said.
Despite not being expected to start, Isak could make an appearance off the bench against Burnley. He comes to Liverpool having not had a proper preseason, and having only played a 20-minute substitute appearance for Sweden against Kosovo during the international break. Isak also went on strike at Newcastle United in order to push his move to Anfield. It would be a surprise if he did not get any playing time, especially considering he scored twice against Burnley in two appearances for Newcastle during the 2023-24 season.
Burnley manager Scott Parker acknowledged the challenge his team faces against the reigning champions. "You're playing against an elite, world-class team with numerous players in their team who are obviously world-class talents," Parker said. He added, "As always, it's a 90-minute game of football and we'll go and give the best version of ourselves. We're going to need a lot of things to go our way, we understand that".
In terms of team news for Burnley, Parker indicated that all players returned fit and healthy from the international break. Midfielder Florentino Luis has joined the squad on a season-long loan from Benfica. Liverpool will be without Curtis Jones, who is injured.
Another key talking point is who will start at right-back for Liverpool. Dominik Szoboszlai filled in admirably in the last match against Arsenal, but Jeremie Frimpong is now fit again after recovering from a hamstring injury. Slot has several options to freshen up the team, with players like Joe Gomez, Andy Robertson and Federico Chiesa potentially in contention.
