Alexander Isak's injury is a huge disappointment for Liverpool fans, but there will likely be some more bad news on the horizon for the forward
Alexander Isak of Liverpool goes down injured during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on December 20, 2025 in London, England
Alexander Isak's injury came after he scored a fine goal for Liverpool(Image: 2025 Visionhaus)
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Liverpool fans have been warned Alexander Isak's injury recovery will have plenty of bumps in the road. Arne Slot recently stated he is hoping this summer's £125million signing will be back in the squad within "a couple of months,"
Isak scored a fine goal in the 2-1 away victory over Tottenham Hotspur but he was injured by Spurs defender Micky van de Ven, who got tangled up with the Swede in his attempt to block the ball. An operation has been carried out on his injured ankle, which included a fibula fracture.
While it was heralded as a success, injury expert Ben Dinnery has warned Isak's true journey to recovery will be long, bumpy and unpredictable, in contrast with Slot's hopeful prognosis.
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Speaking to Casino Beats, Dinnery said: "If the fibula fracture was done in isolation and fairly straightforward, the expectation is that players can return in around 4-5 weeks, 6-7 would have been realistic. The involvement with the ankle and the surgery probably complicates matters.
"As with any injury, particularly those on long-term, those recovery timelines are rarely linear. They never go from A to B in a straight line, niggles are always there along the way. There’s never really a fixed timeframe on when you think a player will come back.
"You have recovery protocols in place and players will need to work through them to be able to advance through those activities until you get to the point where you’re able to be reintegrated with the first-team. Now, to come through these protocols, you want to ensure that you’re not reacting in any way.
"The difficulty is that you could get through the first stages without any problems, then all of a sudden have inflammation or swelling, then you take a step back. That’s why clubs are reluctant to give any definite timeline because you don’t know how a player is going to react to those increased intensity and load.
Alexander Isak of Liverpool is treated for a leg injury after a challenge from Micky van de Ven of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on December 20, 2025 in London, England
Isak was in agony on the floor(Image: 2025 Marc Atkins)
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"We can have a fairly good understanding of what would happen but it depends on the individual. With Bruno Fernandes, we don’t have that history because he’s never been injured before.”
Isak's first-time finish saw him finish off an impressive team move which saw him, £116m man Florian Wirtz and £88m ace Hugo Ekitike all combine in a free-flowing move. Before the ball hit the back of the net, Isak was hitting the ground in pain as a result of the challenge.
He was helped off the pitch by Dr Jonathan Power and Chris Morgan, who are part of the club's medical team. In his pre-match press conference before the Reds' home clash against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Slot offered his take on Isak's injury.
Liverpool's Swedish striker #09 Alexander Isak (C) is helped off the field by medical staff after picking up an injury during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on December 20, 2025
Isak will have to ready himself for a long and frustrating recovery process, according to Dinnery
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(Image: AFP or licensors)
He said: "It's going to be a long injury, for a couple of months, so that's a big, big disappointment for him and, of course, also for us. I'm confident he can (play a part in back end of season)."
Isak had struggled for form at Anfield, having arrived off the back of a disrupted pre-season which saw him be forced to train alone by Newcastle United, after he put in a transfer request.
He had also been stuck behind fellow summer signing Ekitike, who has eight goals in 16 Premier League appearances this season.
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