Is Alexander Isak's season over? Arne Slot sets recovery timeframe for Liverpool record signing after surgery on fractured fibula & slams 'reckless' Micky van der Ven tackle

Isak has endured a tough time since making a record-breaking move to Anfield over the summer. A protracted transfer saga saw him swap the North East at Newcastle for the North West on Merseyside. He arrived with little pre-season training under his belt.

It has taken a while for Liverpool to get him up to speed. Just as that process was being completed, the 26-year-old frontman has picked up an unfortunate injury. Isak stepped off the bench to register the opening goal in a 2-1 victory over Tottenham. He was on the pitch for less than 15 minutes before hobbling towards the treatment table.

Isak was, when finding the back of the net, caught by a desperate tackle from Spurs defender Micky van de Ven. Slot was less than impressed with that lunge and told reporters when discussing the road to recovery that his No.9 is now heading down: “For me it was a reckless challenge. I spoke a lot about the challenge from Xavi Simons which was completely unintentional. I don't think you'll ever get an injury from that tackle. The tackle of Van de Ven if you make it ten times, I think ten times there is a serious chance a player gets a serious injury. It's going to be a long injury - a couple of months. A big, big disappointment for him and for us.”

Tottenham were reduced to nine men against Liverpool, with Xavi Simons the first to go after raking studs down the back of fellow Dutchman Virgil van Dijk’s calf. Passionate Spurs skipper Cristian Romero talked his way into a late dismissal.

Slot is of the opinion that Van de Ven should also have been punished for his tackle on Isak, with there little chance of him getting near the ball. He will now be without his Swedish frontman for several weeks, with surgery being carried out on an ankle problem and fibula fracture.

Liverpool are already missing 250-goal superstar Mohamed Salah, who is on Africa Cup of Nations duty with Egypt, Dominik Szoboszlai is due to serve a suspension, while Conor Bradley and Cody Gakpo are rated at “50-50” for a home date with rock-bottom Wolves on Saturday.

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While Isak is destined to sit out that fixture, and several more early in 2026, Slot believes that a proven Premier League goalscorer will return before the end of the season. He said when asked if Isak needs support, as his troubles mount, and if he still has a part to play this term: “Yeah, the last thing I am. And the first thing, it’s been a really challenging and difficult period for him, I think.

“You join a new club and usually when you join a new club you are, and he was of course, very excited and 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’re playing in this league… in this league you need to be on the top of your game to impact a game of football.

“That took, which we all knew, months before we could bring him there because there was no pre-season, there were games, games, games.

“We had hardly any time to train, so we always knew that it would take him time and that’s why he is so unlucky that he is now injured because I think we all saw with his goal against West Ham, with this goal [against Tottenham], that he got closer and closer to the player he was at Newcastle.”

Isak’s goal against Spurs was just his third for the Reds through 16 appearances in all competitions. He had hit 52 across the last two seasons at Newcastle, with that return convincing Liverpool to spend big. He will hope to still have a role to play in domestic and continental trophy tilts towards the end of his debut campaign at Anfield.