"It will be a long injury, for a couple of months. So it's a big, big, big disappointment for him, and therefore also for us," says Slot about how long Isak will be out of action.
Isak was tackled by Tottenham's Micky van de Ven in connection with the Swede scoring Liverpool's 1-0 goal in the match that ended 2-1 to "the Reds". It was a tackle that generated criticism, as van de Ven, despite the action, was not penalised by the referee.
On Monday, news came from Liverpool that Isak had undergone surgery for the injury.
“Serious risk”
"If you make that tackle ten times, I think you run a tenfold risk of seriously injuring the player," Slot says of van de Ven's tackle.
Isak joined Liverpool ahead of this season after struggling to get away from Newcastle, where he refused to train for several months.
"When you join a new club you want to show your qualities, but it was simply impossible (for Isak). We knew it would take time for him, that's why it's so unfortunate that he's now injured, because I think we all saw, with his goal against West Ham and this goal (against Tottenham), that he was getting closer and closer to the player he was last season at Newcastle," said Slot.
Could miss World Cup playoff
The Swedish national team will play the World Cup playoffs in March 2026. It is unclear whether Isak will be able to participate in the matches.
"We feel great sympathy for him and hope for a good and quick rehabilitation. Alex is receiving good help and good conditions in Liverpool and we have a continuous dialogue with both the club and him. It is too early to say exactly how long Alex will be out. We are monitoring the situation continuously together with our medical staff," says national team manager Stefan Pettersson in a statement.
