Alexander Isak was left out of Liverpool’s squad at Burnley as Arne Slot continued to rebuild the striker’s fitness.
The British-record signing had played only 18 competitive minutes all season before joining Liverpool from Newcastle for £125 million.
Isak needs time after missing preseason
Isak trained with his new teammates after returning from international duty with Sweden. His only appearance had come from the bench against Kosovo on 8 September.
“Don’t expect him every single game 90 minutes on the pitch,” Slot said. “That’s definitely not going to happen in the upcoming weeks.&
The Liverpool coach said Isak had missed several months of team training and would be introduced gradually. Sweden coach Jon Dahl Tomasson had taken the same approach during the international break.
Liverpool protect their long-term investment
Slot reminded supporters that Isak had signed for six years, not just the opening weeks of the season.
“This is what we have to keep in mind and what the fans have to keep in mind if they see that I take him off at a certain moment or I only bring him in for a small amount of minutes,” he said.
Ekitike keeps his place at Burnley
Liverpool named the same starting lineup that had beaten Arsenal before the international break, with Hugo Ekitike leading the attack.
Curtis Jones was unavailable through injury, while Jeremie Frimpong returned to the bench after a hamstring problem. Isak’s omission reflected Liverpool’s fitness plan rather than any change in his place within the squad.
