Liverpool manager Arne Slot bemoaned the “reckless” tackle from Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven which broke the leg of Alexander Isak—though the Dutchman is confident his £125 signing can return and make an impact before the 2025–26 season concludes.

It’s been a ruinous few days for the Premier League’s most expensive player of all time. In the act of scoring his second goal in the competition for Liverpool, Isak conspired to fracture his fibula while also damaging his ankle. He was forced to undergo surgery on Monday and faces potentially the longest injury absence of his senior career.

But, as Slot was keen to point out, it could be worse.

There were rampant fears that Isak had damaged the dreaded ACL, a knee injury which routinely sidelines players for a minimum of nine months. As Rodri has proven for Manchester City, it can take even longer to fully get back up to scratch.

The Dutch boss confirmed that Isak would be recovering from “a long injury for a couple of months” but was already looking ahead to a time when his No. 9 will be back on the pitch. “Yes, I am confident,” Slot insisted when asked if Isak would be in a fit state to feature before the campaign concludes in May.

“It’s been a really challenging and difficult period for him,” he added. “When you join a new club, he was very excited but you want to show the qualities you have. That was simply impossible. If you haven’t trained for three or four months on a serious level with the team and you are playing in this league, you need to be on top of your game to impact a game of football.

“That took, which we all knew, months before he could because there was no preseason. There was just games, games, games, games.

“There was hardly any time to train. We all knew it would take him time. That’s why it is so unlucky that he is now injured. We all saw with his goal against West Ham, with his goal against Tottenham, he was getting closer and closer to the player he was last season at Newcastle.”

Slot Blasts Van de Ven for Isak Challenge

Alexander Isak (centre) getting tackled.
Alexander Isak (centre) was already in pain before the ball hit the net. | JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP/Getty Images

While Slot bemoaned the misfortune behind the timing of Isak’s injury, he had an idea of who was to blame.

“For me it was a reckless challenge,” Slot fumed in reference to Micky van de Ven’s lunge on Isak. While Xavi Simons had been sent off for Tottenham Hotspur in the first half of Saturday’s clash after sinking his studs into Virgil van Dijk’s calf, the Dutch centre back escaped any punishment for his collision with Isak.

“I spoke a lot about the challenge from Xavi Simons which was completely unintentional. I don’t think you’ll ever get an injury from that tackle,” Slot continued. “The tackle of Van de Ven if you make it 10 times, I think 10 times there is a serious chance a player gets a serious injury.”

Liverpool’s Absentee List Growing

Dominik Szoboszlai
Szoboszlai is suspended for the visit of Wolves. | IMAGO/Focus Images

The sidelining of Isak is another body blow for Slot, who is contending not only with injuries but also suspensions and international duty for key players.

Slot said in his press conference that right back Conor Bradley and forward Cody Gakpo are “50-50” to face winless Wolves on Dec. 27, with Joe Gomez and Wataru Endo definitely unavailable for the game.

Liverpool will also be without the in-form, and extremely versatile, Dominik Szoboszlai. The Hungarian midfielder picked up a fifth yellow card of the season at Tottenham, meaning he must now serve a one-match ban.

Mohamed Salah is away on AFCON duty with Egypt—he scored a dramatic late winner in his country’s opening match of the tournament on Monday—and his absence, alongside Isak and Szoboszlai, piles more pressure onto the shoulders of Hugo Ekitiké—though the Frenchman’s promising form suggests he’s more than capable of shouldering the weight of expectation.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Reckless’—Arne Slot Fumes at Tackle That Broke Alexander Isak’s Leg.

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