Liverpool XI vs Burnley: Alexander Isak debut, confirmed team news, predicted lineup and injury latest | OneFootball

Reds’ new £125million striker will hope to make first appearance on Premier League return at Turf Moor

Alexander Isak will hope to make his Liverpool debut against Burnley as the Premier League returns this weekend.

The Swedish striker became the most expensive signing in the history of British football last week when he completed a blockbuster £125million move from Newcastle on Deadline Day, finally bringing to an end one of the summer’s most protracted, high-profile and acrimonious transfer sagas.

Isak went straight on international duty after his switch to Anfield was completed, joining up with the Sweden squad for their latest pair of 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

However, he was an unused substitute in the 2-2 draw with Slovenia and only played 18 minutes off the bench in Monday night’s shock 2-0 loss to Kosovo in Pristina, with Sweden coach Jon Dahl Tomasson being careful with his workload following talks with Liverpool counterpart Arne Slot and between the respective team physios.

Isak did not play at all during pre-season for Newcastle or during the early stages of the new campaign as he effectively went on strike in order to force a move to Liverpool, training separately from the first-team squad.

Though Isak has trained with his new team-mates in recent days, he remains well short of full match fitness and Slot has quickly moved to temper expectations with regards to his involvement in his early weeks at Liverpool, where he will be eased along carefully despite some important fixtures coming up against the likes of Atletico Madrid and Everton.

It seems almost certain that Isak won’t be starting for Liverpool for a few weeks yet, so a brief cameo off the bench seems the most he can hope for at Turf Moor on Sunday, leaving fellow summer signing Hugo Ekitike to continue leading the attack after his impressive start to life in English football.

Curtis Jones will play no part against Burnley, with Slot revealing that the England midfielder suffered a knock during the win over Arsenal before the international break.

However, Jeremie Frimpong has returned to training after missing the last two matches with a hamstring injury and should feature, while Ibrahima Konate shrugged off a late scare against Arsenal to play two full games for France.

Dominik Szoboszlai - whose stunning free-kick saw off the Gunners in an early season battle of familiar title rivals - has impressed at right-back with Frimpong out and Conor Bradley only just back from his own injury, though you’d expect one of the specialists in the position to take over this weekend.

That should be Frimpong if fit enough, otherwise Bradley should step in. It would seem harsh to drop Szoboszlai after his heroics against Arsenal so he could move back into midfield here, with Alexis Mac Allister a potential candidate to make way after his recent international exertions with Argentina.

If Slot wants to freshen things up further with Liverpool’s Champions League opener and a Merseyside derby clash on the way next week, then the likes of Joe Gomez, Andy Robertson, Wataru Endo and Federico Chiesa are all potential options, along with teenage sensation Rio Ngumoha.

Predicted Liverpool XI (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Szoboszlai; Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo; Ekitike

Injured: Jones

Time and date: 2pm BST on Sunday September 14, 2025

Venue: Turf Moor, Burnley

How to watch: Sky Sports