Speaking on Sky Sports, Van de Ven said: "I sent him a text because I didn’t want to injure him, or to do something to hurt him of course. I just wanted to try to block the shot. I think it was a bit unlucky how his foot landed between my legs. So I sent him a text afterwards and I wanted to wish him all the best of course. I hope to see him on the pitch again very soon. He appreciated the message and texted back."
Van de Ven's effort to deny Isak, however, didn't go down well with Liverpool head coach Arne Slot, who deemed the tackle 'reckless'. The former Newcastle man underwent successful surgery on a fractured ankle earlier this week, and while Slot is confident that Isak will be available again before the end of the campaign, the Reds boss was reeling about the situation.
"It was a reckless challenge," Slot said earlier this week. "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 serious chance the player gets a serious injury. It is going to be a long injury for a couple of months. That’s a big, big disappointment for him and, as a result of that, also for us."
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