Burnley vs Liverpool. Premier League.
Turf MoorAttendance21,313.
Saturday 20 August 2016 14:06, UK
Club-record signing Steven Defour could make his Burnley debut against Liverpool on Saturday.
The 28-year-old completed his £8m move from Anderlecht earlier in the week and manager Sean Dyche said there is a possibility he will feature this weekend.
"It's one of things we'll look at accordingly and he's certainly a player we've been on for a while to bring him in," said Dyche.
"He's got quality there's no two ways about that but the adaptation to the Premier League is what we're looking for because it is different."
While Burnley were beaten by Swansea on the opening day, Liverpool secured a thrilling 4-3 victory at Arsenal.
Summer signing Sadio Mane impressed at the Emirates but he is a doubt for the clash at Turf Moor after suffering a shoulder injury in training.
Team news
Defour could replace David Jones in the line-up after the latter joined Sheffield Wednesday in the week.
On-loan full-back Jon Flanagan cannot feature against his parent club, though he is still working on his fitness anyway, while Ashley Barnes' hamstring will keep him out again.
Striker Daniel Sturridge and midfielder James Milner are in contention for Liverpool after missing the Arsenal game with hip and ankle problems respectively.
While Mane is a doubt, Joel Matip and Lucas Leiva (hamstring) have rejoined the group and midfielder Emre Can is pushing for a start after a substitute appearance at the Emirates.
Opta stats
Burnley have never scored a Premier League goal against Liverpool, losing all four of their encounters with the Reds.
The Reds are only one of two Premier League sides to have stopped the Clarets from scoring (also Swansea City).
Burnley's last nine Premier League games have seen just seven goals scored, with Sean Dyche's men scoring twice in the process.
By contrast, Liverpool's last nine away games in the Premier League have contained 41 goals (4.6 per game on average).
Andre Gray has scored just once in his last 10 league games at Turf Moor.
Simon Mignolet could make his 200th Premier League appearance in this match, becoming the third Belgian to reach this milestone after Marouane Fellaini (203) and Vincent Kompany (220).
Burnley's last home win over Liverpool in the league came on September 1974 (D2 L5 since). Their last home league goal against the Reds was scored by Ray Hankin in March 1975 - they've failed to score in six games since then.
Paul Merson's prediction
I was a little disappointed in Burnley. At home, I thought they had to go for the win but they didn't create much and with virtually the same team that got them promoted, it looks like a long season ahead.
There's a big gap from the Sky Bet Championship to the Premier League and I expect Liverpool to win this.
I don't think many teams will go to Burnley and take them apart because they are well organised and have a good manager, but Liverpool look dangerous in attack.
They will be able to cope without Sadio Mane if he's out for an extended period because Jurgen Klopp has plenty of options going forward. It's in defence that he has problems.
PAUL PREDICTS: 1-3 (Sky Bet odds 12/1)
