Who: Newcastle United vs Liverpool
What: English Premier League
Where: St James’ Park, Newcastle, United Kingdom
When: Monday, August 25 at 8pm (19:00 GMT)

How to follow: We’ll have all the updates on Al Jazeera Sport from 5pm (16:00 GMT) in advance of our live text commentary stream.

Liverpool will visit Newcastle United on Monday night amid a juicy transfer saga involving the Reds trying to pry striker Alexander Isak away from the Magpies.

The Swedish striker has been training alone in advance of the new season with an impasse reached between the club and player.

Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at the battle that has as much focus on off-field matters as those on it.

What is the latest on the Isak situation?

Newcastle so far have rebuffed the efforts of Liverpool. Isak, however, on social media has made clear his desire to make the move to the defending Premier League champions and his dissatisfaction with the Magpies for obstructing it.

As a result, he has been training away from the rest of the Newcastle squad as they prepare for a rematch of their 2025 Carabao Cup triumph, which marked the Magpies first major trophy win in 70 years.

Manager Eddie Howe confirmed Isak will not play Monday. But he is hopeful the Swedish striker who scored 23 league goals last season can be reintegrated into the squad, saying there is no personal animosity between them.

He also admits the ordeal has put the club in a difficult position.

“It is a lose/lose situation to a degree for us because I don’t think we can come out of this winning in any situation,” Howe told reporters Friday. “We love Alex in the sense of what he’s done for the football club since he’s been here, what he’s contributed, what he’s given, how professional he’s been.”