Micky van de Ven has faced criticism after his tackle on Saturday led to Alexander Isak suffering a suspected broken leg.
Liverpool beat Tottenham 2-1 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but were left reeling after the game following the news that their £125million man will face an extended period on the injury table.
Van de Ven had attempted to block the Swede’s opening goal, but only made contact with the attacker in a challenge that forced him off.
Scans are now expected to confirm the news that Isak has fractured his leg and is expected to miss around three months of action.
Xavi Simons was sent off against Liverpool in the same game, after a late raking tackle on Virgil van Dijk‘s calf.
Frank Leboeuf slams Micky van de Ven
Van de Ven’s tackle did not receive much attention in the moment, with it appearing to be just a regular attempted block.
Isak felt the pain immediately, barely even looking up to see that he had scored before he winced and grabbed at his leg.
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Replays showed that Van de Ven had slid in a scissor motion, making contact with the striker’s lower leg, and the challenge has faced closer inspection following news of the injury.
Speaking to ESPN on Sunday, former Chelsea defender Frank Leboeuf said: “I love the way Micky van de Ven is behaving and the way he plays football, and I love the player, but he has to be punished.
“I’m sorry, you cannot get out of that when you broke the leg of somebody. You take a chance, you’re a defender. I was a defender and never injured any player.
“You can tackle, you can be hard, but you have to know and be in control of what you do. And, I’m sorry, in that manner, and the result says a lot, Van de Ven was not in control.
“And for me, that’s maybe unfortunate, but something has to come out. He cannot again be released with nothing after that tackle.”
Former PGMOL Chief weighs in on Van de Ven challenge
Following the goal, referee John Brooks did not pay any attention to Van de Ven, nor did the video assistant referee.
And neither did any Liverpool player, for that matter, with the main concern being with the safety of Isak.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett said: “Frankly, in reviewing this clip, I believe that the Tottenham player has made a genuine attempt to play the ball.
“The VAR in its operational role will have checked the lead-up to and the scoring of the goal. Clearly both the Referee and VAR were happy for the goal to stand and that no offence had taken place.
“The only route available to Liverpool is to go down the legal route.”
Whether the Reds would want to engage in a legal situation in this case, remains to be seen over the coming weeks.