Liverpool manager Arne Slot has said Alexander Isak faces “a couple of months” out injured after a “reckless” challenge by Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven.
Isak sustained a fracture to his left leg following a sliding tackle from Van de Ven as he scored for the Reds in a 2-1 win at Spurs.
The Sweden international had an operation on what Liverpool described as “an ankle injury that included a fibula fracture”.
“It’s going to be a long injury, for a couple of months,” said Slot. “It’s a big disappointment for him and, as a result, for us.”
Van de Ven escaped any punishment for his challenge, while team-mate Xavi Simons had earlier been sent off when he caught Reds centre-back Virgil van Dijk on his calf with a late tackle.
On Van de Ven’s challenge, Slot added: “This was for me a reckless challenge.
“I’ve said a lot about the tackle of Xavi Simons, 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 is a serious chance that a player gets a serious injury.”
Tottenham boss Thomas Frank said he “obviously disagrees” with Slot and that Van de Ven is a “very fair and competitive player”.
Frank said: “We are talking about a defender that will do everything to avoid [conceding] the goal.
“Unfortunately, Isak has planted his foot straight there, which makes it look worse than it is.
“That would be a natural reaction for any defender. Or, put it this way, if my defender doesn’t do that, I don’t think they are true defenders.
“I also know the two players have sorted it out, so that’s a good sign.”
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher called the Isak injury a “huge blow” for the Reds but said the tackle from Van de Ven was “a challenge I’d probably make”.
“There’s a lot been made about a lot of the challenges in the game from Tottenham players and a lot of them weren’t clever,” Carragher said on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football.
“I put myself in Van de Ven’s position, and that’s a challenge I’d probably make.
“He’s trying to block it – it’s just the follow-through. I don’t know where else anyone thinks his foot’s going to go. He has to make that challenge. You can’t let the striker just get a shot away in that situation.
“It’s just really bad luck for Isak. It’s probably one of the first glimpses we’ve seen of his real quality in a Liverpool shirt.”
Liverpool host Wolves on Saturday and, apart from Isak, Slot’s attacking options will also be limited with Mohamed Salah at the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt.
Cody Gakpo has been out injured with a muscle problem, but the Netherlands forward could be back for the game against Wolves.
Jeremie Frimpong returned from a hamstring injury when he came on as a substitute and played on the right wing against Tottenham, with Slot saying he was now able to start if needed.
However, the Reds boss ruled out recalling attacking midfielder Harvey Elliott from his loan spell at Aston Villa to help with his resources.
“No, Harvey is an Aston Villa player, and he is supposed to be going there for a season,” said Slot. “Any questions about him, the best thing to ask is at Villa, who are doing quite well by the way.”
Isak can still help Reds this season – Slot
Isak’s injury is the latest setback for him since he made a British transfer record £125m move to the Anfield club from Newcastle United in the summer.
The 26-year-old has struggled for form and fitness and managed just three goals in 16 appearances for the Reds.
Slot acknowledged that it had been “a really challenging and difficult period” for Isak, who was left out of the Newcastle squad for their pre-season tour of Asia with what the club described as a “minor thigh injury”, while it was understood he wanted to explore a move away.
He then trained alone at his former club Real Sociedad before eventually joining Liverpool on deadline day.
Asked if Isak could still play an important role for his side towards the end of the season, Slot said: “Yes.”
He added, “You join a new club, and you are very excited. You want to show immediately all the qualities you have, but that was simply impossible [with him].
“Maybe no one understands, but if you haven’t trained for three or four months on a serious level and you are playing in this league … in this league, you need to be on top of your game to impact a game.
“That took months before we could bring him there. We always knew it would take him time, and that’s why it’s so unlucky that he’s now injured.
“We all saw with his goal against West Ham and this goal that he got closer and closer to the player that he was last season at Newcastle.”
Natural collision or serious foul play?
By Dale Johnson, Football issues correspondent
Opinions may be influenced by the injury to Isak, but it does not have to be the result of foul play – it can simply be an unfortunate consequence.
It is important to look at how Van de Ven makes the challenge, and also how Isak comes to sustain the injury.
As Isak releases the shot, Van de Ven slides in to try to make a block.
Crucially, it is Isak’s shooting foot that gets injured after he plants it.
The foot lands between Van de Ven’s legs, and that is how the Sweden striker’s injury appears to happen.
Had Van de Ven gone through Isak’s standing foot or tackled his opponent directly this would have been a different discussion.
But Van de Ven goes to make a block into the space in front of Isak. It was a genuine challenge and should not be seen as a red card.
That does not mean a defender cannot be sent off if they try to stop a shot and clatter into an attacker.
We can look at the double leg fracture sustained by Manchester United‘s Luke Shaw in a Champions League game against PSV Eindhoven in 2015.
Shaw had burst into the area to take a shot when Hector Moreno crashed into him, taking his standing foot away in a scissors tackle.
It came in the days before VAR, so Moreno did not even concede a penalty, let alone get a red card. But it is exactly the kind of blocking tackle which should see a player sent off now.
Van de Ven’s challenge, however, appears to be an accidental collision as part of a normal defensive action.
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