Alexander Isak Injury: Progress, Potential Return Date for Liverpool Star
Liverpool continue to wait on the return of summer signing Alexander Isak, who suffered a nasty leg injury during a 2–1 win over Tottenham Hotspur in December 2025.
Isak’s goal on the day—just his second in the Premier League since his £125 million ($170 million) move from Newcastle United in the summer—was a welcome sight for both supporters and manager Arne Slot, but 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.
Months later, and there has been no further sign of Isak, who continues to fight his way back to full fitness.
Here is the latest update on the Liverpool forward’s condition.
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What Injury Does Isak Have?
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.”
When Will Isak Return From Injury?
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.
Frustratingly for Liverpool fans, there have been no further attempts to specify Slot’s prediction. As January came to an end, the Reds boss confirmed Isak was “only just out of his walker” and not yet back on the pitch, suggesting the striker’s absence will extend towards months three and four at the very least.
Slot may not have offered much immediate hope, but Sweden manager Graham Potter took the opposite stance. Potter argued Isak was working with a view to returning in time to represent his country in the international break at the end of March.
Should that prediction come true, Isak would have recovered from his injury in just three months and would be rebuilding his match sharpness in time for Liverpool’s Premier League run-in—a huge boost to their Champions League aspirations.
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