Alexander Isak debut: Arne Slot team selection for Burnley vs. Liverpool as club face Dominik Szoboszlai dilemma

Alexander Isak's time on the pitch against Burnley will be heavily dependent on Liverpool putting themselves in a commanding position, Reds expert David Lynch has argued.

The Merseysiders will hope to return to the top of the Premier League table on Sunday, and supporters are keen on seeing the debut of Isak following his transfer from Newcastle United.

Isak did not participate in pre-season for either Newcastle or Liverpool, and he has played just 19 minutes of football this campaign, coming on as a late substitute for Sweden in a World Cup qualifier on September 8 against Kosovo.

Lynch insisted that while the Reds will want to get the striker up to speed, the length of his debut could depend on the scoreline, when he told Sports Mole: "Liverpool are going to want to get him fit as soon as possible. If they're 2-0 or 3-0 up and it's comfortable, they could get some minutes into him.

"Unless he's feeling any after effects coming back from international duty from those 20 minutes he played, then you should expect to see him in the squad against Burnley. That will be very exciting if that's the case but it's tough because you wonder how long it's going to take him to get fully up to speed.

"He only came on quite late for Sweden, and it shows you that he's clearly not physically there, albeit he looked great when he came on. The fitness isn't there, so it might take a little while but hopefully there's been enough training with Sweden [and Liverpool] this week to build himself up."

Hugo Ekitike has scored twice in three Premier League games, so Liverpool will still be confident that they can threaten Burnley even if Isak does not play much of a role on Sunday.

Dominik Szoboszlai: Arne Slot's midfield dilemma

Liverpool managed to beat Arsenal 1-0 on August 31 in their last match, with Dominik Szoboszlai scoring a late free kick to take all three points.

The Hungarian is a natural midfielder but was used as a right-back against both Arsenal and Newcastle United, and he was arguably the club's best player in those clashes.

Speaking to Sports Mole, Lynch expressed his view that Arne Slot may have to use Szoboszlai in midfield regardless of his form in defence, saying: "It's a tough decision. What might help the manager in this case is that Mac Allister's been away with Argentina and it's a bit of a journey back.

"I know there's that bit of extra rest with it being a Sunday game, but still they'll want to look after him, particularly as Mac Allister's had a bit of an up and down start to the season in terms of his fitness.

"He hasn't been quite right from the start, so they'll really want to protect him if they can, so maybe that makes it an easy decision for the manager in that he can just throw Szoboszlai in there."

Curtis Jones excelled against Arsenal but is injured, while Alexis Mac Allister has struggled in the past when coming back to Liverpool following an international break, so perhaps Szoboszlai will have to be used alongside Ryan Gravenberch.

What will Liverpool's starting XI look like in the Premier League?

It is difficult to say for certain what XI Slot will select for the most important games of the season given he has not yet had the opportunity to work with a fully fit squad.

Isak and Ekitike may be forced to compete for the number nine spot, while Szoboszlai may face a battle with Mac Allister for a place in midfield, as well as a fight with Conor Bradley for a place as a right-back.

Lynch insisted that Slot will find it difficult to find his ideal XI due to the options available to him across the season, telling Sports Mole: "It's up to Arne Slot and the fitness staff to decide when Isak is fit to start, but you hope he's ready soon because he's such an exciting player.

"You've got Conor Bradley now back fully fit, and one of the huge advantages of the international break was that he went away and played 70 and then 90 minutes. That's brilliant for him because that's what Liverpool needed him to do and now you've got a genuine option there at right-back.

"It's really tough [elsewhere], because how do you make that midfield rotation work with Wirtz in there with Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Gravenberch and Jones, who has played really well at the start of the season? It's a good job Liverpool are going to play a lot of games this season. In terms of your first XI, it's incredibly tough to pick."

Liverpool play Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday, and it would not be surprising if Slot's selection for his side's game against Burnley was influenced by their match three days later.