Liverpool: Arne Slot slams 'reckless' Micky van de Ven tackle after Alexander Isak leg break

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·23 de dezembro de 2025

Liverpool: Arne Slot slams 'reckless' Micky van de Ven tackle after Alexander Isak leg break

Reds boss issues updated return timeline for injured striker

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has labelled the challenge that resulted in a broken leg for Alexander Isak as “reckless”.

It was Micky van de Ven who made the tackle on Isak, as the Swede scored during Liverpool's 2-1 win over Tottenham at the weekend, flying in from the right-hand side in a failed attempt to block the shot.

Isak has now been ruled out for “months” after undergoing surgery, and Slot believe a tackle of that nature will “10 times out of 10” put a player at risk of serious injury.

Speaking about the tackle, Slot said: "It was a reckless challenge. I've said a lot about the tackle of Xavi Simons [who was sent off], 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 [Micky] van de Ven, if you make a tackle like that 10 times, 10 times there is a chance the player gets a serious injury."

Vídeos OneFootball

Micky van de Ven flies in on Alexander Isak

Getty Images

Liverpool's £125m record signing Isak will now miss a couple of months with this latest injury, in what is a huge blow for the player and his manager.

The 26-year-old has already missed eight games this season through injury and has only scored twice for Liverpool in the Premier League after making the move from Newcastle in the summer.

On the length of the injury, Slot said: "It's going to be a long injury. A couple of months. That's a big, big, big disappointment for him and also for us.

"I'm confident he can [play a part in the back end of season)]. It's been a really challenging and difficult period for him. You join a new club, he was very excited and you want to show immediately your qualities but that was simply impossible.

"If you haven't trained for two or three months at a serious level, in this league you have to be on top of your game to impact a game of football.

“We knew it would take months. We knew it could take him time, that's why he's so unlucky he's now injured. We all saw with his goals against West Ham and Tottenham, he got closer to the player and player he was at Newcastle."

Liverpool are also dealing with the injury of Cody Gakpo, and with Mohamed Salah away with Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations, they may look at doing some business in January.