Liverpool manager Arne Slot has confirmed that striker Alexander Isak is expected to be sidelined for several months after sustaining a broken leg during the club's 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur. Isak suffered the severe injury while scoring Liverpool's opening goal on Saturday, following a heavy and ultimately unpunished sliding challenge from Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven inside the penalty area.

The Sweden international successfully underwent surgery on Monday to address a broken ankle and fibula. While the club has not set a definitive timeline for his return, Slot stated, "It's going to be a long injury, for a couple of months. It's a big, big disappointment for him and as a result also for us." There remains an expectation that Isak could potentially play again this season.

Arne Slot has publicly criticized Van de Ven's tackle, describing it as "reckless." He drew a clear distinction between this incident and an earlier challenge by Xavi Simons, who was sent off for catching Virgil van Dijk's calf. Slot commented, "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. But the tackle of Van de Ven, if you make a tackle like that 10 times, 10 times there is a chance the player gets a serious injury."

Isak's absence is a significant blow for Liverpool, who are already grappling with other key player absences. Cody Gakpo is out with a muscle injury, and Mohamed Salah is currently with Egypt for the Africa Cup of Nations. Slot noted that not all injuries are related to overloading, specifically citing Isak's and Wataru Endo's injuries as unrelated, while Gakpo and Joe Gomez's muscle issues might be.

Further compounding Liverpool's injury woes, defender Conor Bradley is rated 50/50 for the upcoming match against Wolves, as he has not been training with the squad. Joe Gomez and Wataru Endo are also confirmed unavailable, with Cody Gakpo's situation being similar to Bradley's. Despite these challenges, Slot's immediate focus remains on the team's upcoming fixtures against Wolves and Leeds United. When asked about potential January transfer window signings for a forward, Slot emphasized, "My first and only thoughts are on the upcoming two games. It's a time for the players we do have available to do what they've done so many times and roll their sleeves up." He also called upon the fans to provide their usual support to help the team secure the desired results.