Alexander Isak, a Liverpool striker, will be out of action in a number of months after suffering a severe leg break as confirmed by manager Arne Slot on Tuesday. The trauma happened in the 21 win against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Saturday, the foot of Isak was caught between the legs of defender Micky van de Ven as the Dutch centre-back tried to block his shot.
Slot categorized the challenge by Van de Ven as reckless and said that the impact of the tackle was bound to cause a serious injury. The Liverpool manager said that, in case you take a tackle 10 times, there is a 10 times chance that the player will have a serious injury.
It is a big blow to Liverpool who signed Isak in September to replace one of the highest-paid players Newcastle United at a British record price of £125 million ($168.8 million). The club had been hoping that the Sweden game would be the first move in their fight back to defend the title in the Premier League.
Without Isak, Liverpool will rely on another top signing of the summer, Hugo Ekitike, who has already scored eight times in the league since he joined the club after leaving Eintracht Frankfurt. Slot acclaimed the development of the French forward and said that he had gained physical strength without losing his offensive powers.
He has to become stronger, he has already become stronger, said Slot. He is quick, knows how to score goals, possesses excellent footwork and dribbling abilities. He is able to be physically outstanding with his pace and his physique. That’s what he’s working on.”
The fans of Liverpool will also wish Ekitike would be able to slot in the gap left by Isak and make the team competitive in the domestic and European competitions. In the meantime, the medical staff of the club will strive to get the striker back on his feet to be fully healed within the next few months.
The injury of Isaac emphasizes the thin line in the premier league, where any tackle can put a star player on the sidelines, and change the season of the team drastically. Liverpool is now in a difficult situation as they have to deal with matches without the striker who had signed the record contracts.
