Alexander Isak injury: Liverpool striker set for lengthy absence after 'reckless' Micky van de Ven challenge, says Arne Slot
Arne Slot has confirmed that Alexander Isak is set for a long spell on the sidelines with a broken leg after a "reckless" challenge from Micky van de Ven in Liverpool's win at Tottenham.
The Sweden striker underwent surgery on Monday.
"It is going to be a long injury, a couple of months," confirmed Liverpool head coach Slot in Tuesday's press conference before their match with Wolves. "That is a big, big disappointment for him and, as a result, also for us."
Isak sustained the injury when Van de Ven attempted to prevent him from scoring the opener in Liverpool's 2-1 win in north London, sliding into the striker and leaving him unable to celebrate as he immediately signalled for medical attention.
Van de Ven, meanwhile, has spoken for the first time about the incident, saying he was simply trying to block the shot and had no intention of injuring Isak.
"I did not want to injure him or do something to hurt him," the Spurs defender, speaking at the Junior Supporters' Christmas Party, told Sky Sports. "I just wanted to try to block the shot. It was a bit unlucky how his foot landed between my legs."
The Dutchman also revealed the pair have since been in contact: "I sent him a text after as I wanted to wish him all the best with his recovery and that is what I said to him and hopefully see him on the pitch very soon again. He really appreciated the message and texted me back."
The Liverpool head coach, though, was not happy with Van de Ven's challenge.
"This was for me a reckless challenge," Slot said. "I think I said a lot about the challenge of Xavi Simons (on Virgil van Dijk, for which he was sent off), which for me was completely unintentional. I don't think you will ever get an injury out of a tackle like that.
"The tackle of Van de Ven, if you make that tackle 10 times, I think 10 times there's a serious chance that a player gets a serious injury."
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However, Tottenham boss Thomas Frank hit back and defended his player, disagreeing with Slot's assessment of the challenge.
"I obviously disagree," Frank said ahead of the game against Crystal Palace.
"I think we are talking about a defender doing everything he can to avoid a goal. It's a transition so he's sprinting back in, the ball slides down the side and he does everything he can to make the block.
"Unfortunately Isak's planted his foot straight there and that makes it look worse than it is. I think that's a natural reaction for any defender. Put it this way, if my defenders don't do that, then I don't think they are true defenders.
"I think reckless challenges, you haven't seen one from Micky. He's a very fair and competitive player."
The Sweden international was sidelined for five games from October to November with a groin injury and the latest setback will only compound his disjointed start to life in Liverpool since completing his record-breaking £125m move from Newcastle this summer.
Isak has scored just three goals across 16 appearances in all competitions for Liverpool but Slot made the point that his levels were improving.
Report and highlights: Spurs 1-2 Liverpool
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'Simply impossible' for Isak to show his best
"It's been a really challenging and difficult period for him, I think," Slot added.
"You join a new club, usually when you join a new club - he was very excited of course as well - but you want to show immediately all the qualities you have, but that was simply impossible.
"Maybe no one understands, but 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're not playing in, I don't know where, but in this league, you need to be on top of your game to impact a game of football.
"And that took, which we all knew, months before we could bring him in there, because there was no breathing, there were games, games, games. No time, hardly any time to train.
"So we always knew that it would take him time, and that's why he's so unlucky that he's now injured, because I think we all saw with this goal against West Ham, with this goal, that was he was closer and closer to the way he was last season at Newcastle."
Merson: Pressure will now be on Ekitike to keep producing
Sky Sports' Paul Merson:
"It turned out to be unlucky. Was it reckless? I don't know any manager who wouldn't want their centre half to make that tackle.
"He has to try his hardest to come across and block it. On another day, he might not get caught. He has to make that challenge. Fair play to Micky for texting him but at the same time, Slot would be disappointed if [Virgil] Van Dijk didn't make that challenge.
"It's a shame for Isak, but it is one of those things. He looked sharp and it was a great finish.
"I think it means Ekitike plays every week, it is going to be hard on him. He has been one of the successes for Liverpool this season.
"Now he has to carry it on and the pressure is on, week in and week out. He needs to keep on producing, but he has done well."
Analysis: Slot's attacking options dwindling
Sky Sports' Rich Morgan:
Isak missed four matches at the end of October and start of November with a groin injury which forced him off at half-time of the Champions League win over Eintracht Frankfurt.
He has started five out of nine since returning but any absence now, however lengthy, will be a blow with Mohamed Salah at the Africa Cup of Nations and Cody Gakpo not ready to return from a muscle injury until early in the new year.
It leaves Slot with just Hugo Ekitike, who has five goals in his last four games, and the little-used Federico Chiesa as his only senior forwards.
Unlike Isak, Ekitike has hit the ground running since moving to Anfield from Frankfurt for £79m last summer, scoring 11 times in 24 games in all competitions so far this season, including eight in the Premier League.
And now in Isak's injury-enforced absence, the 23-year-old has the opportunity to stake his claim as the champions' first-choice No 9 during a crucial run of fixtures.
Liverpool face Wolves, Leeds, Fulham and leaders Arsenal over the next two-and-a-half weeks that will shape their bid to finish in the top four.
Meanwhile, the Reds also begin their FA Cup campaign at home to Barnsley on January 12, while next month also brings two pivotal Champions League contests in Marseille [January 21] and at home to Qarabag [January 28].
'A touch of anger around Isak injury, but Slot not short of forward options'
Analysis from Sky Sports News' Vinny O'Connor:
There isn't just disappointment that Alexander Isak is out for a couple of months; at least, there's a frustration, an anger even at the way it happened.
Arne Slot certainly couldn't hide his feelings over Mickey van de Ven's challenge when he described Xavi Simons' red card offence as a tackle that he doesn't think you will ever get an injury from.
As for Van de Ven: "If you make that tackle 10 times, I think 10 times there is a serious chance that a player gets a serious injury", was Slot's verdict.
The hope is that Isak will still have an important part to play at the back end of the season following the latest setback in the stop-start beginning to his Liverpool career.
Slot knew it would take time for him to get up to speed which is why, according to his manager, "he's so unlucky that he's now injured, because I think we all saw with this goal and his goal against West Ham that he gets closer and closer to the player he was last season at Newcastle".
Whether the Isak situation underlines the need to keep Mo Salah, or impact activity in the transfer window, Slot was not going to go there.
His focus is on the players he has to work with, and he's not too short of forward options.
Hugo Ekitike has five goals in his last three Premier League games and continues to work hard at developing the physique to help him cope even better with the rigours of the Premier League.
Ekitike will certainly shoulder most of the burden as the focal point of Liverpool's attack in Isak's absence. Cody Gakpo can also fill in, as can Federico Chiesa and Salah when he's back from the Africa Cup of Nations.
At this point, however, we aren't expecting Harvey Elliott to return to supplement the wide options. For the second time in a week, Arne Slot made the point that questions on Elliott's immediate future are for Aston Villa.
Liverpool's next five fixtures
