Arne Slot has clarified why Alexander Isak, Liverpool’s record British signing, is not included in the squad for their Premier League match against Burnley.
After the international break, the reigning Premier League champions travel to Turf Moor to face Scott Parker’s Clarets.
Liverpool have maintained a perfect start to the season with three wins from three matches and will look to keep their winning streak alive against Burnley, who have recently been promoted back to the top flight.
Many Liverpool fans were hoping that Isak, who joined on deadline day for £125 million from Newcastle United, would feature in the game. His signing completed a spending spree of over £400 million as Slot reshaped the squad that clinched last season’s title.
Isak’s transfer dominated the summer window as he pushed for a move after three years at Newcastle, following his 2022 transfer from Real Sociedad.
The Swedish international netted 62 goals in 109 appearances for Newcastle but missed the club’s pre-season tour and trained separately while his future was uncertain.
Ultimately, Isak secured his move, becoming the third most expensive footballer ever, behind Neymar and Kylian Mbappe’s record transfers to PSG in 2017.
However, Isak won’t feature in today’s match at Turf Moor. Slot told Sky Sports this was due to the striker’s limited game time and training during pre-season.
Liverpool face a busy week ahead with a Champions League clash against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday, followed by the Merseyside Derby against Everton next Saturday.
Slot confirmed that although Isak won’t play today, he expects the striker to participate against Atletico Madrid, as the Burnley game came too soon given his current fitness.
He explained: “Not today. As everyone knows, he didn’t have any team training at Newcastle and only played about 15-20 minutes with his national team. Considering we have three games in seven days this week, it’s best for him to have a full week of training so he’s ready for the Atletico Madrid game.
“We decided it’s better for him to train properly instead of playing in short stints. I can assure fans he’ll be involved on Wednesday, but today’s game was a bit early for him.”
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