Alexander Isak was not included in the Liverpool squad for the 1-0 victory at Burnley, with manager Arne Slot explaining his decision and the striker reacting after the game
07:19, 15 Sep 2025Updated 07:20, 15 Sep 2025
Newcastle's wantaway striker Alexander Isak wants to join Premier League champions Liverpool
Newcastle's wantaway striker Alexander Isak wants to join Premier League champions Liverpool
Liverpool made it four wins from four in the Premier League with another thrilling late win away against Burnley for the champions of England.
Mohamed Salah's spot-kick in the fifth minute of stoppage time maintaining the Reds' perfect start and restoring their three-point advantage at the Premier League's summit. Before the game, all eyes were on new British record transfer Alexander Isak, who joined the Reds in a controversial £125m switch from Newcastle United this summer.
The 25-year-old was omitted from the squad for Sunday's dramatic 1-0 triumph, having managed just 18 minutes of action for Sweden and missing pre-season plus match time due to his row with Newcastle. And speaking after the game, Liverpool manager Arne Slot spoke about Isak and his role as the Merseyside giants' fixture list intensifies with the Champions League getting underway.
The Reds next face Atletico Madrid at home on Wednesday evening. Here's all the latest news from Anfield.
Isak 'not ready'
Alexander Isak was left out of the Liverpool squad versus Burnley
Alexander Isak was left out of the Liverpool squad versus Burnley(Image: Getty Images)
Isak spent Saturday in an intensive training session and was undergoing recovery whilst his new team-mates were at Turf Moor grinding out a fourth consecutive victory, reports the Mirror.
Slot said: "If you start a season when the players have been off for five weeks, you give them a certain base before they are able to play 45 minutes.
"We got him from Newcastle in a state where you could see his pre-season was going to start now, then he needs proper minutes of training before he has a certain base, let alone for him to play twice in three days.
"We try to prepare players at the beginning of the season to play once a week and then we try to do more before the rhythm of three games a week.
"Alex is far from ready for that schedule of three games in a week but we could use him today for five minutes and Wednesday 10 and then 15, but we don't believe that is the way to build him up.
"In Sweden they did the right thing by giving him good sessions without playing him a lot and we did the same so now he will be able to play 45 on Wednesday as a minimum or a little bit more.
"But if he plays 45 on Wednesday, don't expect him to play 45 or more on Saturday [against Everton] as his body is not prepared for that."
Isak reacts to Reds win
Despite his omission from the first Liverpool squad, he was available for, Isak was active on social media and celebrated the Reds continuing their perfect start to the campaign.
The attacker shared the official Instagram account's full-time graphic to his story before liking posts from Virgil van Dijk, Dominik Szoboszlai and Ibrahima Konate.
Slot's tactical change
Arne Slot once again made substitutions vital to a Liverpool victory
Arne Slot once again made substitutions vital to a Liverpool victory(Image: Getty Images)
Slot acknowledged his team's fortune after struggling against the Clarets' well-drilled defensive setup, expressing relief at securing three points following his decision to deploy additional attacking players in pursuit of victory, after Burnley's Lesley Ugochukwu was sent off for a second yellow card late on.
Slot said: "They almost got a point so I'm not saying anything negative about it but it is difficult to outplay 11 players in their own 18-yard box and a draw was probably expected throughout the game.
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"But we tried with the substitutions we made to bring all the players we have who can attack on the pitch.
"I think we were six or seven in the end and I don't know if that has anything to do with us scoring but we created the penalty and had a big chance with Jeremie [Frimpong] before that."