Arne Slot slams “reckless” Micky van de Ven as Alexander Isak suffers “long injury”
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has strongly condemned what he described as a “reckless challenge” from Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven after the incident left Alexander Isak requiring surgery and facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
The flashpoint moment came during Saturday’s high-intensity encounter when Van de Ven attempted to prevent Isak from opening the scoring. As the Liverpool forward pulled the trigger, the Tottenham centre-back lunged across him in a scissor-style challenge — a split-second decision that ultimately proved costly.
Although Isak managed to get his shot away, the aftermath of the tackle was far more serious. The striker was immediately in visible discomfort and was later diagnosed with a fractured lower leg alongside significant ankle damage. He has since undergone surgery and is expected to miss a substantial portion of the season, delivering a crushing blow to both his personal momentum and Liverpool’s attacking plans.
Alexander Isak injury — what we know so far
The injury:
Isak has had surgery following a fractured lower leg and damage to his ankle. The injury was sustained as a direct result of a scissor challenge from Van de Ven while attempting to score.
Slot’s verdict:
The Liverpool boss was highly critical of the nature of the tackle, insisting it carried a near-certain risk of causing serious harm. Slot claimed there was a “10 out of 10” chance of a severe injury whenever that specific type of challenge is made.
Time on the sidelines:
Isak is expected to be unavailable for a “couple of months,” leaving Liverpool without one of their most dynamic attackers during a demanding festive schedule.
Addressing the media ahead of Liverpool’s clash with Wolves, Slot confirmed the length of the striker’s recovery and did not hide his frustration at the circumstances surrounding the injury.
“It’s going to be a long injury, for a couple of months,” Slot admitted.
“That’s a big, big, big disappointment for him — and as a result, of course, also for us.”
Slot later expanded on his comments, making it clear that he felt the tackle crossed a line. While acknowledging that football is a physical sport and that injuries are sometimes unavoidable, the Dutchman insisted there is a clear difference between mistimed challenges and those that inherently endanger an opponent.
“This was for me a reckless challenge,” he told reporters.
“I think I’ve spoken a lot about the tackle of Xavi Simons, which for me was completely unintentional, and I don’t think you ever get an injury out of a tackle like that.
“But the tackle of Van de Ven — if you make that tackle 10 times, I think 10 times there is a serious chance that a player gets a serious injury.”
Slot’s comments are likely to reignite debate around dangerous challenges, officiating standards, and player safety — particularly when defenders attempt last-ditch interventions inside the penalty area. Scissor-style tackles have long been viewed as high-risk, and Slot’s remarks underline growing concern within the game about the consequences of such challenges.
Despite the severity of the setback, Slot remains cautiously optimistic that Isak will return before the season reaches its conclusion. He described the striker as “unlucky,” pointing out that the timing could hardly have been worse, with Isak finally closing in on full match fitness after a disrupted start to the campaign.
For Liverpool, the injury compounds an already challenging period. Isak joins a growing list of absentees, with Joe Gomez and Wataru Endo also unavailable, while Dominik Szoboszlai is suspended. The mounting issues come at a time when fixtures are coming thick and fast, placing additional strain on Slot’s squad.
Rather than dwell on what Liverpool are missing, Slot urged those still fit to step up, calling on both players and supporters to show unity during the demanding festive run.
“My first and only thoughts are on the upcoming two games,” Slot continued.
“Two difficult ones again, but two home games, which is really nice for us.
“So this is the time for the players we do have available to do what they’ve already done a few times this season — roll their sleeves up.”
The Liverpool manager also highlighted the importance of the Anfield crowd, insisting the supporters can play a decisive role as the team navigates a challenging period without several key figures.
“Not only our players, but our fans as well, need to help us in the best possible way to get the results we want in these upcoming games,” he said.
“The players that are available need to give everything they have — just as the fans usually do — and I expect them to do that again.”
As Liverpool prepare to move forward without Isak for the foreseeable future, Slot’s message is clear: adversity must be met with resilience, collective effort, and total commitment, while questions continue to swirl around the challenge that brought the striker’s season to a sudden halt.