Liverpool confirm Alexander Isak will miss months after surgery on fractured ankle suffered at spurs

Liverpool’s season has suffered a major blow after the club confirmed that their record signing Alexander Isak will miss several months following surgery on a fractured ankle.

The 26 year old striker sustained the injury during Liverpool’s 2 1 Premier League victory away to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday. Isak was hurt by a heavy challenge from defender Micky van de Ven at the very moment he was scoring, collapsing in visible pain before being helped from the pitch.

Scans carried out after the match confirmed Liverpool’s worst fears. The Sweden international suffered a fractured fibula and underwent surgery on Monday. While the club stopped short of placing an exact return date on his recovery, they confirmed he will be sidelined for several months.

The injury comes at a cruel time for Isak, who has endured a frustrating and stop start beginning to life at Anfield. Signed in a British record deal worth £125m, expectations were immense when he arrived. Instead, fitness setbacks have repeatedly stalled his progress.

Isak missed much of pre season after forcing through his move from Newcastle United, leaving him playing catch up under head coach Arne Slot. Just as he began to settle, a groin injury picked up against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League ruled him out for almost a month.

His goal at Tottenham was only his second in the Premier League for Liverpool and his third in all competitions. It was also the first time he had been assisted by Florian Wirtz, a partnership Slot hoped would drive the champions forward this season. Instead, that promising moment now stands as the scene of a serious setback.

There is frustration inside Liverpool that the challenge which caused the injury went unpunished. Referee John Brooks took no action, and video assistant referee Stuart Attwell also declined to intervene. This was despite Tottenham having Xavi Simons and Cristian Romero sent off later in the match.

Isak’s absence leaves Liverpool stretched in attack at a critical stage of the season. Mohamed Salah is currently away with Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations, while Cody Gakpo is also sidelined through injury. Slot now faces a serious challenge in maintaining Liverpool’s momentum with limited forward options.

The striker becomes the second of Liverpool’s summer arrivals to suffer a long term injury. Young defender Giovanni Leoni is already ruled out for the remainder of the season after sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament injury on his debut against Southampton in the Carabao Cup.

For Isak, the injury is a devastating personal blow. Having fought to establish himself after a disrupted start, he now faces months of rehabilitation at a time when he was finally beginning to make an impact.

Liverpool have offered no indication of when he might return, only confirming that patience will be required. For a club chasing honours on multiple fronts, losing their record signing to such a serious injury could prove to be one of the defining moments of the campaign.