Liverpool’s title aspirations have been dealt a massive blow today with the confirmation that star forward Alexander Isak will be out of action for at least two months.
The Swedish international, who has been a revelation since his high-profile move, successfully underwent surgery on Monday on an ankle injury that included a fracture to his fibula.
The injury occurred during a controversial moment in Saturday’s 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur, where Isak was scissored down by Micky van de Ven in the very act of scoring the opening goal.
While the goal stood, the immediate aftermath saw Isak clutching his leg in agony, and the club’s medical staff quickly realized the severity of the situation.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, manager Arne Slot did not hold back his frustration regarding the nature of the challenge.
Slot described the tackle from the Tottenham defender as reckless, suggesting that a challenge of that intensity would lead to a serious injury ten times out of ten.
The Liverpool boss drew a comparison to the earlier red card shown to Xavi Simons, arguing that while the Simons tackle was unintentional and unlikely to cause harm, Van de Ven’s intervention carried a high risk of the exact outcome Liverpool are now forced to navigate.
Slot confirmed that Isak is expected to miss at least fifteen games across all competitions, a period that spans the critical mid-season grind and the start of the Champions League knockout stages.
The timing is particularly difficult for the Reds, who are already without the services of Mohamed Salah due to his commitments at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Slot admitted that losing such a pivotal goalscoring threat is a big disappointment for the player and the squad, but he insisted the focus must now shift to the players who are available.
With Isak out, more pressure will fall on Hugo Ekitike and Luis Diaz to shoulder the offensive burden.
Slot ruled out the possibility of an early recall for Harvey Elliott from his loan at Aston Villa, emphasizing that the focus is on the upcoming home games against Wolves and Leeds United where the Anfield faithful will need to provide an extra lift.