Arne Slot has namechecked Micky Van der Ven after the part he played in Alexander Isak’s injury.
Arne Slot has questioned the severity of Micky van de Ven’s challenge during Saturday’s victory over Tottenham. The 2-1 win in north London came at a significant cost, with the club confirming on Monday night that Isak has undergone surgery for a fractured fibula and ankle damage. The Swedish striker, who scored the opening goal in the same sequence of play, was caught by the Dutch defender’s desperate recovery challenge as he fired home.
The injury is a bitter blow for Isak, who had begun to find his rhythm following his record-breaking summer move from Newcastle. The 26-year-old had struggled for fitness in his early months at Anfield but looked to be turning a corner with his third goal of the campaign before disaster struck.
Now speaking in his pre-Wolves press conference, Arne Slot branded his compatriot’s tackle as reckless:
“This was for me a reckless challenge. I said a lot about the challenge from Xavi Simons was unintentional. But if you make the tackle of Van der Ven 10 times, 10 times there is a chance of a serious injury.”
Liverpool’s medical update did not place a specific timeline on his recovery, stating only that he will now begin rehabilitation at the AXA Training Centre. Slot has already suggested that the striker is expected to miss several months, leaving the Dutchman with a selection headache with Mohamed Salah already at AFCON.
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