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Beth Lindop
Liverpool manager Arne Slot has labeled the challenge by Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven that resulted in Alexander Isak‘s leg injury as “reckless.”
Isak sustained the injury while scoring Liverpool’s first goal during their 2-1 victory over Spurs on Saturday, with Van de Ven delivering a heavy challenge inside the penalty area.
Thomas Frank’s squad was down to nine players in London after red cards were issued to Xavi Simons and Cristian Romero, yet Van de Ven’s tackle went unpunished.
Isak successfully underwent surgery on a fractured ankle and fibula on Monday, and Slot indicated that he is likely to be sidelined for “a couple of months.”
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“Most of our injuries aren’t due to overexertion,” the Liverpool coach explained. “If you look at Alex’s situation, it’s unrelated to overloading. This also applies to Wataru Endo.
“Certainly, there are one or two cases that may involve overuse – for instance, Cody Gakpo has a muscle-related issue, as does Joe Gomez. However, Isak’s injury was a reckless challenge. I’ve previously commented on Xavi Simons’ tackle, which I believe was entirely unintentional and wouldn’t typically result in an injury.
“Conversely, Van de Ven’s tackle, if replicated ten times, would likely lead to a serious injury each time.”