Micky van de Ven tackle on Alexander Isak ‘reckless’ – Liverpool boss Arne Slot

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has criticised Tottenham’s Micky van de Ven for the “reckless” tackle which has sidelined Reds striker Alexander Isak for a couple of months with a fractured fibula.

The Sweden international was injured in scoring the opening goal of Saturday’s 2-1 win in north London when the Spurs defender slid in and caught his shooting leg as he planted it on the floor.

Isak had an operation on Monday on an ankle injury which included a fibula fracture.

“It’s going to be a long injury, for a couple of months,” Slot said. “It’s a big disappointment for him and, as a result, for us.

“This was, for me, a reckless challenge. I’ve said a lot about the tackle of Xavi Simons (who was sent off dragging his studs down the calf of Virgil van Dijk) 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.”

Isak has made 16 appearances since his £125million British-record move from Newcastle on deadline day but had started five out of nine since a groin injury sustained in the Champions League win over Eintracht Frankfurt two months ago.

His dispute with his former club Newcastle meant he did not have a proper pre-season programme and so arrived at Anfield well behind his team-mates in terms of fitness and Liverpool have had to be patient in building him up.

However, the 26-year-old is now back to square one and even if he returns, as Slot expects, before the end of the campaign he is unlikely to be close to the sharpness which saw him score 27 goals for Newcastle last season.

“It’s been a really challenging and difficult period for him. Usually when you join a new club – he was very excited as well – you want to show all the qualities you have but that was simply impossible,” said Slot.

“Maybe no-one understands but if you haven’t trained on a serious level for three or four months with the team and you are playing in this league you have to be on top of your game to impact a game of football.

“That took – which we all knew – months because there was no pre-season, just games, games, games and hardly any time to train.

“We all knew it would take him time and that’s why he is so unlucky he is now injured because we all saw with his goal against West Ham and with this goal (against Tottenham) he gets closer and closer to the player he was last season at Newcastle.”