Arne Slot, Manager of Liverpool, looks on prior to the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Liverpool at St James' Park on August 25, 2025 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)placeholder image
Arne Slot, Manager of Liverpool, looks on prior to the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Liverpool at St James' Park on August 25, 2025 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Liverpool prepare for their Premier League season to recommence and Arne Slot may make a decision when it comes to his defence.
Arne Slot may have his fingers crossed when he drives to the AXA Training Ground today.
The Liverpool boss will be hoping that all of his troops return from international duty unscathed as the Premier League campaign recommences with a trip to Burnley on Sunday. A total of 18 players represented their respective nations during the break. All will be assessed after reassembling in Kirkby.
Alexander Isak, the £125 million British record signing, will meet his new team-mates for the first time after finally signing on transfer deadline day. He reported for duty yesterday and will be keen to make a swift impression.
Isak had a severely disrupted pre-season, having spent the majority of it training individually after informing Newcastle United he no longer wanted to play for the club and complete a move for the Reds. As a result, Slot will have to make a decision on whether Isak is ready to feature against Burnley. The striker came off the bench against Sweden in a 2-0 loss against Kosovo but will be well short of fitness.
The Liverpool boss will have been pleased to see Ibrahima Konate represent France during the international break, though. After the centre-back was forced off in the 1-0 victory over Arsenal, there were concerns that he may have suffered an injury that would see him sidelined.
Slot declared after the game that Konate felt that he had only sustained cramp but required a scan. Thankfully, the ex-RB Leipzig man’s inclination was correct. But Slot may still be wary that Konate could pick up another setback after playing two full games for France in wins over Ukraine and Iceland. The 26-year-old has had fitness problems in the past and Liverpool may not want to risk Konate being forced to sit on the treatment table for a prolonged period.
While he is in the final year of his Anfield contract and talk of a free transfer to Real Madrid next summer is rife, that will scarcely stop Slot from utilising Konate. It was the same with Trent Alexander-Arnold.
But Slot must be cautious with the 26-year-old. The fact that Liverpool tried to sign Marc Guehi underlined they feel they are slightly short in central defence after selling Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen. Giovanni Leoni was brought in from Parma but he is only aged 18 and has fewer than 20 senior appearances under his belt.
It’s why there is a good possibility that Joe Gomez may start against Burnley. The Reds’ longest-serving player was magnificent when he replaced Konate in the Arsenal triumph. During his 11-minute cameo, he won all three aerial duels and made seven clearances. His efforts won the praise of Slot.
Gomez has also had his well-documented injury problems. Had he not had such issues, he may well have remained Van Dijk’s regular partner like he was when Liverpool won the Premier League in 2019-20. Last campaign, he spent a lengthy spell on the sidelines because of a recurring hamstring problem that required surgery. When Gomez sustained his issue in a 5-0 thrashing of West Ham United on 29 December, he was making a sixth successive top-flight start while Konate was absent because of a knee setback. The former Charlton Athletic defender has not featured in the league since.
The Reds can benefit from Gomez being among just four senior players - along with Curtis Jones, Federico Chiesa and the hamstrung Jeremie Frimpong - who was not called up for international duty. Gomez will be fresh and ready to prove a point.
The 27-year-old attracted interest late in the summer window, with AC Milan lodging a bid of around £13 million and Brighton being keen. It’s understandable why Gomez may have been open to a departure, especially if Guehi had arrived. He will covet playing week in, week out. That is something that he’s not been afforded on Merseyside over the past few years.
However, Slot could assess the situation and feel that Gomez is worthy of a spot. If that is the case and the 15-cap international delivers a strong performance in what would be a first Premier League outing in 259 days, it will give the Liverpool supremo something to ponder for the Champions League opener against Atletico Madrid next week.
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