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Arne Slot on Isak’s absence. “We’ve decided it is the best for him to have a proper week of training instead of every time going for five or ten minutes of playing. I can assure the fans that he will be involved on Wednesday - but this game came a bit too early.”
Liverpool host Atletico Madrid on Wednesday in the Champions League.
Two Burnley changes from that 3-2 loss at Old Trafford. Jacob Bruun Larsen is omitted and Hannibal Mejbri benched. for Josh Laurent and Loum Tchaouna. Armando Broja, signed from Chelsea, is on the bench.
So, Liverpool unchanged from the team that beat Arsenal, free-kick hero Dominik Szoboszlai continues at right-back, despite Jeremie Frimpong’s return. He’s benched alongside Joe Gomez and Conor Bradley. You can never have too many right-backs.
The teams - confirmed, no Isak
Burnley: Dubrabka, Walker, Hartman, Esteve, Ekdal, Ugochukwu, Anthony, Cullen, Tchaouna, Laurent, Foster. Subs: Weiss, Worrall, Humphreys, Pires, Luis, Flemming, Mejbri, Edwards, Broja
Liverpool: Alisson, Szoboszlai, Van Dijk, Konate, Kerkez, Mac Allister, Gravenberch, Wirtz, Salah, Ekitike, Gakpo. Subs: Mamardashvili, Gomez, Endo, Bradley, Chiesa, Robertson, Frimpong, Nyoni, Ngumoha
Sounds like Arne Slot would like to put the Isak saga behind Liverpool and focus on the games ahead.
Woltemade was on the scoresheet on Saturday, so over to you, Florian Wirtz?
The word is that there will be NO Alexander Isak for Liverpool, not even on the bench. Slot said on Friday he and the new strike have only spoken a couple of times. Federico Chiesa, left out of the Champions League squad, is likely to be included in the 18, though it’s an unchanged team, with Hugo Ekitike leading the line.
Arne Slot on facing Burnley: “We know that every game is difficult and I only have to look back at last season to understand that. We had problems with Ipswich, Leicester and Southampton.”
On Isak: ”With us playing so many games there’s little training time. That is going to be a challenge but we have not signed him for the next two weeks we have signed him for six years and the fans have to keep this in mind.”
Scott Parker, the Burnley manager, spoke this week ahead of the Liverpool game:
“There is work that goes into every plan which starts really early in the week. You try to identify and express areas to the players. No doubt Liverpool can cause you more problems, and there is a few more things you need to be aware of, but the tactical work stays very consistent.
“We will try and keep it going. All I ask of this group is that we embrace this weekend, give the best version of ourselves - we show fight, quality, bravery and control in certain moments. We need to have unbelievable courage. You can win and lose matches, but if my group give me that I will be more than happy.”
Preamble
To Turf Moor, the stadium with the best view in English football. That combination of green, rolling hills and satanic mills really stirs the soul. Two fine Lancastrian – in old money – institutions meet. For Liverpool, a club of globalisation, we await a first glimpse of Alexander Isak, most probably in a club issue tracksuit. For Burnley, there’s the hope the defensive shield of last season can be restored; it folded two weeks ago when facing mighty Manchester United…what has Scott E Parker got planned for Arne Slot’s firepower? Liverpool haven’t been much cop at defending, either.
It promises to be fun. So, what we saying here? 0-0? Those games can be good, too.
Kick-off at 2pm UK time, all the news before. Join me.
