Alexander Isak Injury: Progress, Potential Return Date for Liverpool Star

Liverpool’s record signing went down clutching his knee shortly after scoring for the Reds.

Alexander Isak suffered an injury against Tottenham. | Getty/Joe Prior/Visionhaus

Liverpool made it three wins on the bounce in all competitions with a 2–1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in north London, courtesy of goals from strike duo Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike.

While Isak’s opener—just his second Premier League goal since his £125 million ($170 million) move from Newcastle United in the summer—was a welcome sight for both supporters and manager Arne Slot, the aftermath quickly dampened the mood.

As he broke the deadlock, the Swede went down injured following a challenge from Micky van de Ven, requiring several minutes of treatment on the pitch before eventually being forced off, with Jeremie Frimpong introduced in his place.

With the Reds finally finding their rhythm after a difficult start to the season and Isak beginning to show signs of form, news of a potential injury landed as a bitter blow for Slot and Liverpool fans alike.

Here is the latest update on the Liverpool forward’s condition.

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What Injury Does Isak Have?

Isak could be sidelined for a while. | Getty/Marc Atkins

The initial fear was that Isak may have suffered the dreaded anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury—a serious and often long-term setback—but the club subsequently confirmed that the 26-year-old had broken his leg, specifically fracturing his fibula (the bone between his knee and ankle) while also damaging his ankle.

Van de Ven charged across the penalty box in a desperate attempt to block the ball but succeeded in only making contact with Isak. The studs on the striker’s left boot were caught in the turf, resulting in the excruciating twist which has cause all this damage.

Liverpool revealed on Monday, Dec. 22—two days after the incident—that Isak had been forced to go under the knife to correct this issue. “After diagnosis, an operation was completed today on an ankle injury that included a fibula fracture,” a statement read. The Reds optimistically included the verdict that the procedure had gone “successfully.”

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When Will Isak Return From Injury?

Arne Slot will be hoping Isak is back sooner rather than later. | Gaspafotos/MB Media/Getty Images

The length of Isak’s lay-off depends on a multitude of factors. How severe was the fracture, how will his recovery go, will he follow Cole Palmer’s lead and break his toe by running into a door?

Yet, now that the broad nature of the injury has been revealed, a loose timeline has been sketched out. Slot confirmed that Isak would be out for “a couple of months.” This is significantly shorter than the potential lay-off from an ACL injury—nine months is usually seen as the minimum recovery period for that particular setback—but it comes as an unwanted blow just as Isak was threatening to show his best form in a Liverpool shirt.

The severity of the injury and the time which Isak faces on the sidelines led many to question why Van de Ven was not sent off his challenge—the Dutch defender wasn’t even booked. Slot himself described it as a “reckless challenge.” However, retired Liverpool icon Jamie Carragher made a compelling case on behalf of the Spurs player.

“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. I put myself in Van de Ven’s position and that’s a challenge I’d probably make,” he told Sky Sports.

“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.”

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