Micky van de Ven’s tackle caused injury to Alexander Isak.
Arne Slot has criticized Micky van de Ven’s “reckless” tackle that resulted in Alexander Isak needing surgery for a fractured fibula and injured ankle. The Liverpool manager stated that there’s a “10 out of 10 chance” of serious injury from such a tackle, leaving the Sweden striker sidelined for a couple of months after being hit by the Tottenham defender during a goal-scoring attempt on Saturday.
Isak had surgery on Monday after the incident in Liverpool’s 2-1 victory over Tottenham. The £125 million signing was injured when Van de Ven slid in to block his shot, catching his planted leg and forcing him off before he could celebrate his goal.
The Liverpool manager did not hold back in comparing Van de Ven’s unpunished tackle to Xavi Simons’ sending-off for a foul on Virgil van Dijk. He stated (h/t The Guardian):
“For me, it was a reckless challenge. I spoke a lot about Xavi Simons’ challenge, which was unintentional. I don’t think that tackle would cause an injury.”
“With Van de Ven’s tackle, if you do that 10 times, there’s a serious chance of a player getting injured every time.” The Tottenham defender faced no punishment for his tackle, unlike teammates Simons and Cristian Romero, who were both sent off during this intense match.
Struggles Continue for Alexander Isak
This injury adds to the challenges Isak has faced since joining Liverpool. He has only scored three goals in 16 matches since his record transfer from Newcastle. His late arrival meant he was out of shape compared to his teammates.
Isak also missed five games from October to November due to a groin injury and was just starting to find his form with goals against West Ham and Spurs. Slot said:
“He’s really unlucky with this injury because we all could see that he was getting closer to the player he was last season at Newcastle.”
The 26-year-old’s absence leaves Liverpool short on forwards, with Mohamed Salah at the Africa Cup of Nations and Cody Gakpo unlikely to return from a muscle injury until early January. Hugo Ekitike and Federico Chiesa are currently Slot’s only senior forwards, and the manager has urged his players to stay resilient during the busy holiday season.
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