Former Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak could be facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines after limping off during Liverpool’s Premier League win over Tottenham on Saturday.
The Swede initially joined the Magpies from La Liga side Real Sociedad in the summer of 2022 and went on to score 62 goals in 109 appearances across all competitions. However, he departed St James’ Park on deadline day after a summer-long transfer saga, joining the Merseyside outfit for a Premier League record fee of £125 million.
It has been a stop-start beginning to life at Anfield for the 26-year-old, largely owing to his lack of a pre-season. He has scored three goals and registered one assist in 16 appearances across all competitions for Liverpool so far.
However, his fortunes took a turn for the worse on Saturday night as he sustained what appears to be a serious injury. Isak came off the bench at half-time during Liverpool’s league meeting with Spurs, replacing right-back Conor Bradley.
Ten minutes after the break, Isak was picked out by Florian Wirtz and found the back of the net to secure his second league goal for Liverpool. There were no celebrations, though, as he was caught late by Spurs defender Micky van de Ven and taken to ground.
The immediate concern from his team-mates was clear and, while a stretcher was initially brought on, he was able to limp off the pitch with the help of Liverpool’s medical staff. While concerns over a potential ACL injury were quickly put to bed, the issue appears to be no less serious.
Liverpool are still awaiting the results of an MRI scan to determine the full extent of the injury and the expected timeline, but there are concerns over a serious injury to Isak’s lower left leg. While a clearer picture is expected in the coming days, the early signs are not looking great for either Isak or Liverpool.
Reds boss Arne Slot suggested as much in his post-match interviews after his side secured a narrow 2-1 win in north London. Hugo Ekitike scored the second for the visitors, while Spurs substitute Richarlison pulled one back to create a nervy end to the game.
“If a player doesn’t even try to come back, that is usually not a good thing, but I cannot say anything more than that,” Slot explained post-match. “That is just gut feeling and nothing medical… let’s not be too negative yet.
“We don’t know yet. Let’s hope he is back with us soon.”
Liverpool are next in action on December 27 against Wolves at Anfield, and Slot is likely to issue an update on Isak in his press conference early next week. A lengthy spell on the sidelines could rule Isak out of Newcastle’s visit to Anfield at the end of January.
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