Liverpool fear striker Alexander Isak suffered a significant leg injury in Saturday’s 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur.
Isak, a half-time replacement for Conor Bradley, was injured in the act of opening the scoring in the 56th minute with a smart finish from Florian Wirtz’s pass. After striking the ball, he was brought down awkwardly by a sliding challenge from Spurs defender Micky van de Ven and was unable to celebrate with his teammates.
Isak, 26, received treatment and was helped off the pitch by two members of Liverpool’s medical staff, with Jeremie Frimpong replacing him.
Liver, which will reveal the full extent of the injury but Liverpool are concerned at the extent of the damage caused to the forward’s lower leg.
Isak being absent for a lengthy spell would be a huge blow to both Liverpool and the £125million signing, who scored for only the second time in the Premier League in north London since his record-breaking move from Newcastle United in the summer.
Isak has started six top flight games for Liverpool and three times in the Champions League, with fellow summer signing Hugo Ekitike – who scored the winner against nine-man Spurs – settling quicker at Anfield.
After the game, Arne Slot, the Liverpool head coach, was encouraged by the impact of Isak and Wirtz, another big money summer addition, and said he hoped the Sweden international would not be sidelined long-term.
“I haven’t spoken to him about it yet but it’s a good thing he scored, a good goal assisted by Florian Wirtz,” Slot said. “I said players are getting better, the team is getting better.
“It wasn’t perfect today, especially the last 10 minutes but we pick up points and are developing in a way I want to see.
“That’s what we’d like to see happening a lot. A good finish, a good pass. Let’s not be too negative yet. We don’t know yet, let’s hope he is back with us soon.”
Will Isak injury force Liverpool to be active in January?
Analysis by Liverpool reporter Andy Jones
Alexander Isak’s first few months at Liverpool have been forgettable but just when it looked like he had turned a corner, he has suffered another major setback.
As he netted his second Premier League goal of the season to give Liverpool the lead against Tottenham he was unable to celebrate. The agonising look on his face told the story as he clutched his leg and he hobbled off soon after. Now, Liverpool fear he has suffered a significant injury.
After becoming a record-breaking signing in the summer when he arrived at Anfield for £125million from Newcastle United, fitness and form have both been issues.
But the prospect of being ruled out for a lengthy spell would be a huge blow for him as an individual, but also has knock-on effects for head coach Arne Slot and his depth in attack.
Slot is fortunate that he can turn to another elite No.9 in Hugo Ekitike. The 23-year-old is in excellent form, scoring five goals in his last three league games.
However, with Salah away at the Africa Cup of Nations and his future up in the air and Cody Gakpo on his way back from a muscle injury, his attacking options in the short team include only Federico Chiesa and 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha. Neither have started a league game this season.
With Salah away, this had been earmarked as an opportunity for Isak and Ekitike to get a run in the team, potentially together. Those plans now lie in tatters and Slot will need to manage Ekitike carefully.
Further scans will reveal the full extent of Isak’s injury, but there has to be a chance that Liverpool may now be forced to move in the January transfer window. A versatile forward who can play as a No.9 and in wide areas would make more sense that a like-for-like replacement as attacking depth in wide areas is also low.
Finding a player of the required level and for a sensible fee will be the challenge. Antoine Semenyo, who has a £65million release clause, is admired by Liverpool and can operate on both flanks but has only played a handful of games as a No.9 for Bournemouth.