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Concerns have emerged over Alexander Isak after the Liverpool forward suffered a knee injury against Tottenham, raising fears of a another possible ACL issue for the Reds

Liverpool has been left anxiously awaiting updates after Alexander Isak was forced off with a knee injury against Tottenham.

The Swedish striker, who played just 12 minutes before being replaced by Jeremie Frimpong, put the Reds into the lead. Spurs gifted possession following a bizarre pass from Cristian Romero, allowing Liverpool to work the ball quickly to Florian Wirtz on the edge of the box.

He threaded a perfectly weighted pass through to Isak, who calmly finished past Vicario with his left foot. Micky van de Ven lunged in as he tried to block the shot, and Isak’s leg appeared to buckle upon contact. However, the striker remained on the ground after scoring and limped off the pitch.

Sky Sports' Peter Smith at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium said: "Liverpool's big-money summer signings finally combine!

"Wirtz had just squandered a promising position in the box, but played Isak in nicely here, and it is a super finish from the striker. Worryingly, he seems to have injured himself in the process..."

Smith added: "This is worrying for Isak, in terms of his injury. Van de Ven slid in as he shot and may have caught his ankle. The striker has his shirt over his face as the physios try to treat him. A stretcher has come on."

On Isak's injury, Gary Neville, speaking on commentary for Sky Sports, said: "That is a sad sight for Isak. The could have been his lift-off moment. But he has picked up an injury."

Isak proved durable during his time at Real Sociedad but faced setbacks early in his Newcastle career.

He scored twice in his first three Premier League appearances before missing 11 games with a thigh injury.

In his second season at St. James’ Park, he had two separate three-game spells out due to groin issues. Last season, a broken toe limited him to just two matches missed, allowing him to feature in 34 Premier League games for the Magpies.

Liverpool has a genuine reason for concern after the rapid appearance of a stretcher and Isak’s visible difficulty walking.

If the club's marquee summer signing faces a spell on the sidelines at this stage, it would certainly raise hopes for Arsenal and Chelsea in the race to stay ahead in the division.

Liverpool.com says: Isak’s injury is a significant blow for Liverpool for the momentum the team has been building over the last few weeks. Hopefully, it is not as serious as it seems.

His ability to link play, stretch defenses, and score crucial goals has started to become vital for the Reds, but now Isak faces another stretch on the sidelines.

I can only speak from me knowing Mo and how he is with us and how he acted on that. He was positive as well.

He was the exact same Mo, he had a big smile on his face and everybody was exactly the same with him. I guess it's just part of wanting to be a winner and I don't think he will be the last.

I get that there are certain ways you can go about things, but if a lad's fine to just be on the bench and he doesn't want to play and help the team, then I think that's more of an issue.

When there's been any sort of anger from us, including myself, it's always been from a good place. In the moment, it might not have come out in the right way, but it's never been to affect the team, the staff, the manager, anybody like that. We're past that now and we're gelling well as a team, playing well and starting to win games.

Liverpool has confirmed its starting XI for the Premier League game with Tottenham, with decisions confirmed on Dominik Szoboszlai and Florian Wirtz

Dominik Szoboszlai is fit enough to start for Liverpool against Spurs in the Premier League today after he picked up an ankle knock in the Reds' win over Brighton last weekend.

Arne Slot said on Friday morning that the player was set to train later that day. Szoboszlai has recovered sufficiently to be involved in a fixture in which he excelled and scored last season.

Alisson Becker is in the Liverpool goal, with Conor Bradley, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk and Milos Kerkez making up the back four. Ryan Gravenberch and Curtis Jones are the deepest-lying two in midfield, where both have played well of late.

Szoboszlai, Florian Wirtz and Alexis Mac Allister are in front, behind Hugo Ekitike. The French forward has netted a brace in each of his last two games for Liverpool in the Premier League (Leeds United and Brighton).

Jeremie Frimpong returns from injury to take a place on the bench. Alexander Isak is also among the subs.

"I think winning always gives a good feeling and good spirit for a team that had so many changes during the summer," Slot said in his pre-match press conference as he previewed the game.

"The league table, the first 12, 13, 14, 15 teams are so close to each other that winning or losing matters a lot, with one exception although [Manchester] City are coming closer and closer to Arsenal now, but Arsenal are quite far away from us.

"I think the main thing for us is to build on what we are building on in the last five games. I think with the exception of Brighton maybe, because we did concede a lot of chances against them.

"But the other games we were solid defensively and that's a good base, combined with that the players are getting more and more ready to compete at Premier League intensity as a group.

"So, I think we can expect more from us in the upcoming part of the season than what we've shown before, but I assume that everybody would expect that [of themselves] as well.

"I think it's always helpful for a manager to work on the training pitch with the players, especially if you bring in players – not all of them but a few of them — a little bit later in the window.

"With Alex [Isak], for example, he's the best example of that on the first of September. But you can also influence players if you play a game and you do video meetings.

"So, it's not an excuse for our results, not at all. But I would prefer to have more of these weeks than we have because it's a way of implementing either new things or pointing out more and more or stressing on things we have to do better than we did them before.

"I liked it, and next week is the same, so that is almost a mini-pre-season for us."

Liverpool takes on Tottenham today looking to make it back-to-back wins in the Premier League, but the pundits are in disagreement on how the Reds will fare in north London

Alan Shearer and Paul Merson are in disagreement on their predictions for Liverpool’s game at Tottenham today, with only one of them backing the Reds for a victory.

Arne Slot takes his side to north London looking to make it back-to-back wins in the Premier League after victory over Brighton last weekend. If Liverpool can overcome Spurs, it would be the first time since September that it has won two league games in a row.

The Reds come up against an under-pressure Tottenham side, with manager Thomas Frank feeling the heat from his own supporters after picking up just two league wins at home so far this season.

Despite Spurs’ struggles, Shearer is backing the hosts to frustrate Liverpool and claim a point. The former Newcastle and England striker feels Mohamed Salah’s absence, with the winger away at the Africa Cup of Nations, could prove to be a big miss for the visitors.

“It's a tough one to call,” Shearer told Betfair. “After what happened to Spurs last week, and Liverpool have got a couple of results. I'm going to go draw.

“I'm going to go sit on the fence. I think that won't be great for either side, but it wouldn't be a disaster coming out with a point apiece. So, I'm going to go draw.

“Salah came on last week and did really well. I guess he had an hour last week and I thought his performance was excellent. He brought an energy, still looked as if he was strong and fit and did really well. He should have scored though missing a big chance.

“I think they'll miss that. They haven't got him to do that if that happens again this week, particularly with the injuries Liverpool have got. So yeah, without doubt, even with all the noise that was around him, there's no doubt that they'll miss him as an option.

“I would still have Liverpool getting into the top four, despite what I've seen all season. I still think they've got enough to make a push, and they might even sign one or two in January. So, for me, it would still be Liverpool getting in the top four.”

Unlike Shearer, Merson is confident that Liverpool will pick up another win, citing Tottenham’s poor run of form as his reasoning for what he expects to be a ‘comfortable’ victory for the Reds.

Predicting a 3-1 win for Liverpool, Merson told Sportskeeda: “Tottenham were atrocious last week against Nottingham Forest. If you take away the games against Brentford and Slavia Prague, Spurs have struggled so bad in recent weeks.

“Liverpool have not set the world alight with their performances but they are unbeaten in their last five games with three wins. I can see them beating Tottenham comfortably.”

Liverpool will be aiming to make it back-to-back wins in the Premier League as it faces Tottenham today, with Arne Slot hoping Dominik Szoboszlai will be fit to start

Liverpool will be hoping to boost its top four hopes as it makes its way to Tottenham today.

Arne Slot’s side is looking for back-to-back league wins for the first time since September as it takes on an under-pressure Spurs side, with the heat increasing on Thomas Frank after just two league wins at home this season.

If Newcastle can beat Chelsea in the earlier kick-off, there will also be a chance for the Reds to move back into the Champions League spots in the table, which would come as a welcome relief after what has been a tough campaign so far.

Of course, Slot will have some big decisions to make with his side, not least with Mohamed Salah missing. The 33-year-old has made his way over to Morocco ahead of the start of the Africa Cup of Nations, and as doubts over his future continue, today could see the start of Liverpool’s plan to eventually replace its talismanic winger.

That might prove a little more difficult today, given some of the injury problems currently in the side. Dominik Szoboszlai, who has filled in on the right in recent games, is a slight doubt after being forced off against Brighton last weekend.

With Cody Gakpo out injured and Jeremie Frimpong having only just returned to training after nearly two months out, there aren’t too many options available to Slot on the right. The sight of Szoboszlai taking part in training on Friday then will have come as a relief to many, and we’d expect him to start as usual today.

Speaking of which, the Reds’ side may take on a familiar look to last weekend’s win over Brighton, with just the one enforced change.

Alisson takes up his usual spot in goal, with Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate in front of him once again. Milos Kerkez will likely continue at left-back, while the return of Conor Bradley from suspension comes at a good time after Joe Gomez’s injury, so the Northern Ireland international goes straight back into the side.

It’s as you were with the rest of the side. Curtis Jones deserves to keep his place in midfield alongside Ryan Gravenberch, with Alexis Mac Allister continuing as the No.10 as Szoboszlai desputizes on the right again.

Florian Wirtz stays on the left, while Hugo Ekitike should absolutely keep his place up top. Even with the Premier League’s most expensive player in Alexander Isak sitting on the bench, the in-form Ekitike simply cannot be dropped at the moment.

Liverpool travels to Spurs in the Premier League this weekend, with several players set to be missing from the game, potentially including midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai

Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai could be available as the Reds take on Tottenham in the Premier League this weekend, while Jeremie Frimpong is set to make his return to the matchday squad.

Cody Gakpo and Wataru Endo are both out, though the former has had a scan and won't be missing for as long as first feared. Center-backs Joe Gomez and Giovanni Leoni are also both sidelined.

James Maddison is a long-term absentee for Spurs with a knee injury. Like Mohamed Salah, Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma are both at AFCON. Destiny Udogie won't be back from a thigh injury for Thomas Frank's side until January, while former Liverpool striker Dominic Solanke is also sidelined at the moment.

Radu Dragusin, Dejan Kulusevski and Kota Takai are also out, which makes eight Spurs players in total. Liverpool has six players either doubtful or unavailable for the game.

For Liverpool, Conor Bradley is at least available again after he missed the win over Brighton through suspension. Szoboszlai, if he features, will need to avoid a booking or he will pick up a ban of his own.

Liverpool has a strong recent record against Spurs and scored six times in this fixture last season. But Arne Slot is taking nothing for granted as his side continues to build confidence.

"It took us 92 minutes to score away against Brentford, against a Thomas Frank team last season, so you cannot compare..." he said in Friday's press conference.

"Yes, you can compare certain things because [it is] mainly the same players. They've added a few players to the team and with Thomas Frank [there is] a new manager, so I don't think you can compare our games of last season with this season.

"Even more so because we not only added, we lost a lot of players as well, so you cannot compare this team of ours to last season — even with the same manager — and you cannot compare our results of last season [against Tottenham] with facing a Thomas Frank team.

"I think winning always gives a good feeling and good spirit for a team that had so many changes during the summer. The league table, the first 12, 13, 14, 15 teams are so close to each other that winning or losing matters a lot, with one exception.

"Although [Manchester] City are coming closer and closer to Arsenal now, but Arsenal are quite far away from us. I think the main thing for us is to build on what we are building on in the last five games.

"I think with the exception of Brighton maybe, because we did concede a lot of chances against them, but the other games we were solid defensively and that's a good base, combined with that the players are getting more and more ready to compete at Premier League intensity as a group.

"So, I think we can expect more from us in the upcoming part of the season than what we've shown before, but I assume that everybody would expect that [of themselves] as well."

Liverpool took in its final training session ahead of facing Tottenham on Saturday - here's what we spotted from the AXA Training Centre, including some good news for Dominik Szoboszlai

Liverpool’s players have been going through their final preparations at the AXA Training Centre today as they prepare for Saturday’s trip to Tottenham.

Arne Slot put his squad through their paces as usual on Friday after speaking to the media, and there was, of course, one notable absentee, with Mohamed Salah away as he prepares for the start of the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt.

There will still be questions to answer over his future, but for the time being, Liverpool will be focused on trying to boost its top-four hopes without him, starting at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium tomorrow.

The Reds were given a scare ahead of tomorrow’s game after Dominik Szoboszlai was forced off last weekend. Slot is certain to be without the injured Joe Gomez, Cody Gakpo and, of course, Giovanni Leoni, and he’ll be eager for a boost from his star midfielder.

There was some good news on that front as the club's cameras were present for Liverpool’s latest training session. Here’s what we spotted on Friday:

Szoboszlai hint

Given he has been perhaps Liverpool's best player this season, the sight of Szoboszlai limping off against Brighton would have been enough to fill supporters with dread.

The good news is, it doesn't seem to have been anything serious, and if the latest pictures from training are anything to go by, the Hungarian shouldn't have to miss out on tomorrow's trip to north London.

Szoboszlai was pictured taking part in the gym session and out on the training pitch, raising hopes that he will be available to face Tottenham. At the very least, it looks as though he should be fit enough for a place in the matchday squad.

Salah solution?

Whatever happens regarding Salah's future, Liverpool needs to take his time away at the Africa Cup of Nations as an opportunity to take a look at its options to eventually replace him on the right.

One solution could see Jeremie Frimpong come back into contention. The Netherlands international has been back in training following his recent hamstring injury, and he may well make his return to the squad against Tottenham tomorrow.

Whether he will be fit enough to start after nearly two months out is highly doubtful, but he will surely be seen as a potential long-term successor to Salah on the right.

Although he was initially seen as a replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back, Frimpong operated much more as a winger for Bayer Leverkusen, and he usually takes up a more attacking role for his country. Could we see the start of Salah's succession plan tomorrow with the 25-year-old?

The forgotten man

Blink and you'll miss it, but tucked away in the latest batch of pictures from training was a sighting of Stefan Bajcetic.

The 21-year-old looked as though he was on course to become the next big thing at Anfield when he broke through during the 2022/23 season, and actually proved to be one of a very few bright sparks during what was a disappointing campaign.

Injury brought his season to a premature end, and that has rather set the tone for Bajcetic ever since. We've only seen him make three appearances for Liverpool over the subsequent couple of years, with his loan spell at Las Palmas last season ended early as he underwent surgery on his hamstring.

He's been out of action ever since, but hopefully this brief glimpse of him might signal the end of his injury nightmare, and get him back on track to become the player many hoped he would be.

Chiesa's big chance?

You have to give credit to Federico Chiesa. Despite being continually overlooked for opportunities, he always gives his all when he is evantually called upon.

And there are no signs of him letting up in training either, with the Italian going all out during the most recent session, no doubt in the hope that he might finally be rewarded with a start against Tottenham tomorrow.

He surely has as good a chance as he's ever had during his time with the Reds. Salah's absence leaves a gap in the front three, Szoboszlai might only be fit enough for a place on the bench, and it's unlikely we'll see Frimpong from the start.

Perhaps then, Chiesa is smelling his big chance might be set to arrive. You can't say he doesn't deserve it.

Pundit Paul Merson has predicted the outcome of Liverpool's trip to Spurs at the weekend. The Reds will like his thinking, but not his verdict on Mohamed Salah.

Paul Merson is backing Liverpool to beat Tottenham at the weekend. Perhaps the former Arsenal man is letting anti-Spurs biases show, but he is predicting a "comfortable" win for the Reds.

That would certainly be welcomed by Arne Slot. A third win on the bounce would turn this positive run into a genuine fightback, whereas defeat to Thomas Frank's struggling side would send Liverpool almost back to square one.

Slot will have to mastermind victory without Mohamed Salah, who has left for the African Cup of Nations. But the Egyptian has been in and out of the side anyway, creating an unhelpful sideshow that the manager will be pleased to shelve for a while.

When it comes to finding solutions on the pitch, Merson predicts that Slot will elect to use Dominik Szoboszlai on the right in place of Salah. The Hungarian had been an injury doubt, but it seems he will be able to play a part.

"Who comes in for Salah on the right?" Merson mused in his SportsKeeda column. "There is the option of using Federico Chiesa and he deserves more minutes.

"But I just feel like Dominik Szoboszlai might play there in this game. His best position is in midfield, but Slot may use him there and deploy Curtis Jones in midfield.

"Liverpool have not set the world alight with their performances but they are unbeaten in their last five games with three wins. I can see them beating Tottenham comfortably."

Szoboszlai is always a miss in the center of the park, but he has proved adept on the right wing. And Jones is enjoying a good run as well, and is a more than capable alternative in midfield.

On the other hand, Chiesa is a very viable option as well. Merson is right to point out that he deserves more minutes from Slot, and Salah's absence provides an opportunity to put that right on paper.

But in truth, it sounds as if Merson does not think it matters what Liverpool does. He described Spurs as struggling "so bad" in recent weeks, dubbing the loss to Nottingham Forest "atrocious" and settling on a 3-1 scoreline.

Liverpool won't be banking on the match being quite so routine. But if the team does continue to perform well in Salah's absence, Slot's dilemma will rear its head again before long.

The pair patched things up enough to allow Salah to feature against Brighton. But there persists a possibility that this was the 33-year-old's final game for Liverpool.

Merson believes that Liverpool would be ready to sell in January. He picked out a couple of relevant factors:

"If Liverpool get the money they want, I think they will sell Salah in January," Merson claimed. "It also depends on whether they can then go and get Antoine Semenyo, or whoever they consider as an ideal replacement, in the same window."

Liverpool would certainly consider Semenyo a good bit of business. But even amid the trials of the past few weeks, it will surely not be ready to lose Salah just yet.

So here's hoping that Merson has only got half of his Liverpool predictions correct. If he's right about the weekend, then Slot should be in for a relatviely stress-free 90 minutes.

Dominik Szoboszlai’s potential absence against Tottenham Hotspur could leave Arne Slot with a puzzling selection dilemma to solve on Saturday.

The Liverpool star was replaced in the 83rd minute of last weekend’s 2-0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion. Szoboszlai sustained an ankle injury during the game, and after continuing for a brief period, Slot made the decision to withdraw one of his most trusted players.

In fact, those seven minutes on Saturday were the first Szoboszlai has missed in the Premier League or Champions League this season, with Liverpool growing reliant on the Hungarian’s versatility to solve the team’s problems. Szoboszlai has started in four different positions this season, making his possible omission at Spurs even more significant.

That Liverpool is missing Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo amplifies Slot’s selection headache.

The Reds' head coach claimed last week that he could call upon 13 experienced outfield players, and the Premier League champions failed to name a full bench against Brighton.

Since then, Joe Gomez and Szoboszlai have picked up injuries, although Conor Bradley’s return from suspension should at least ease some of Slot’s concerns at right-back.

It’s in the attacking areas where Liverpool is currently lacking. The reluctance to start Federico Chiesa or Rio Ngumoha further reduces Liverpool’s options on the right wing, where Szoboszlai has started two of the last three.

Should Slot wish to stick with his more traditional 4-2-3-1 shape, he may have no option but to start with Chiesa, or shoehorn Hugo Ekitike or Florian Wirtz into that position.

Alternatively, reverting to a diamond midfield, a shape Liverpool deployed in the win over Inter Milan, seems logical.

That would involve a recall for the rusty and increasingly unreliable Alexander Isak, who would partner the in-form Ekitike up front.

In midfield, Curtis Jones, Ryan Gravenberch, Alexi Mac Allister and Wirtz would offer a reliable quartet. The only issue with such an approach is Liverpool’s lack of midfield cover on the substitutes’ bench.

Meanwhile, with Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate as the only fit center-backs, reverting to a back three seems impossible. That could only be achieved if Gravenberch or Andy Robertson were to line up at the heart of defense, something Slot has previously trialed.

However the Liverpool head coach approaches the game, the possible absence of up to seven players is problematic. It underlines the dearth of reliable squad members he is currently operating with, an issue that must be addressed in January.

Dominik Szoboszlai is hoping to be passed fit for Liverpool’s Premier League encounter against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.

The Hungarian, who has started all 22 Premier League and Champions League games this season, was replaced in the 83rd minute of last weekend’s win over Brighton & Hove Albion. Szoboszlai received on-field treatment after sustaining an ankle injury in the latter stages of the 2-0 victory, and while he managed to continue for a short period, Arne Slot made the decision to replace the 25-year-old.

“Dom, it was his ankle. It didn't look great when I just saw him. But he has an unbelievable mentality, so let's hope for the best,” the Liverpool head coach said after the game.

According to The Athletic, scans have since proved that the injury is not set to be a long-term problem, with Szoboszlai “responding well to treatment in recent days”.

The report adds that a final decision about his involvement at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will be made on Friday.

Should he miss out, there is an expectation that Szoboszlai will be back to face Wolverhampton Wanderers the following week.

The injury blow comes amid of spate of fresh problems for Liverpool. Joe Gomez also hobbled out of the Brighton game and Slot has already indicated he is unlikely to return in time for the Spurs game.

Wataru Endo and Cody Gakpo picked up injuries last week and are not expected to be back in time for the weekend, although Jeremie Frimpong is nearing a return to first-team action.

As for Szoboszlai, he has established himself as one of Liverpool’s most reliable players this term, despite many wondering what role he would have following the influx of summer arrivals.

Before being replaced against Brighton, the only minutes the ex-RB Leipzig man had missed this season came in Liverpool’s two Carabao Cup outings.

His versatility has also proved to be a hugely valuable asset. Szoboszlai has started in four different positions this season, and once again filled in at right-back on Saturday following Gomez’s early withdrawal.

Conor Bradley’s return from suspension at Tottenham will at least resolve that issue, but the lack of midfield and attacking options is a concern, especially after Mohamed Salah’s departure to the Africa Cup of Nations.

Liverpool’s most likely approach at the weekend will be a midfield diamond of Ryan Gravenberch, Curtis Jones, Alexis Mac Allister and Florian Wirtz, with Hugo Ekitike partnering Alexander Isak up front.