What should have been a confidence-boosting afternoon for Alexander Isak has turned into a long, frustrating wait.
The Liverpool forward has undergone surgery after doctors confirmed a fracture in his left leg, an injury that could keep him sidelined until well into the new year — and possibly beyond.
The Scan Liverpool Didn’t Want
Liverpool knew something was wrong almost immediately.
An MRI scan carried out on Sunday, following Saturday’s 2-1 win over Tottenham, delivered the verdict the club feared.
While there was early relief that Isak hadn’t suffered ACL damage — an outcome that would have ended his season outright — the scans still brought grim news.
The fracture was confirmed, and by Monday the striker was in surgery, undergoing a successful operation to realign the bone.
No Rush, No Return Date
There’s no countdown clock on Isak’s recovery.
Liverpool have made it clear they won’t pressure him to come back early, and the only certainty is that he’ll be out for months.
Typically, a lower-leg fracture carries a minimum recovery period of around 12 weeks, which would push his return towards the international break in March.
For a player desperate to build momentum, that timeline feels cruel.
A Record Signing, Interrupted Again
This injury stings all the more because of the timing.
Isak, 26, arrived at Anfield on transfer deadline day in September in a blockbuster £125million move — a British transfer record.
Expectations were enormous, but his start on Merseyside has been anything but smooth.
He came in short of match sharpness, struggled for rhythm early on, and then suffered a groin problem during a game against Eintracht Frankfurt that halted his progress again.
The Moment It Finally Clicked
There had been signs, though, that things were beginning to fall into place.
Isak scored his first Premier League goal for Liverpool in the win at West Ham last month, and his strike against Tottenham felt different.
For the first time, he looked every inch the forward Liverpool had invested so heavily in.
That made what followed even harder to take.
The Challenge That Changed Everything
Moments after scoring against Spurs, Isak was caught by a heavy challenge from Tottenham defender Mickey van de Ven.
He tried to carry on but quickly realised something was badly wrong.
In total, the goal was only his second in the league for Liverpool and his third across 16 appearances in all competitions.
Slot’s Immediate Concern
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot didn’t hide his worry when asked about the injury after the match.
“We’ll have to wait and see,” he said.
“But if a player scores and then gets injured and doesn’t try to come back on the pitch, that’s usually not a good thing.”
Those words now feel ominously accurate.
A Squad Already Stretched Thin
The timing couldn’t be worse for Liverpool.
Mohamed Salah is away representing his country at the Africa Cup of Nations, and Isak’s absence leaves Hugo Ekitike as the club’s only fit recognised central striker.
It’s a problem Slot will now have to manage through a critical stretch of the season.
What Comes Next for Isak and Liverpool?
For Isak, the focus shifts entirely to recovery and patience — something he’s already been forced to learn since arriving at Anfield.
For Liverpool, it’s about survival, adaptation, and finding goals elsewhere while one of their biggest investments watches from the sidelines.
This was meant to be the moment Isak announced himself in red.
Instead, it’s another long pause in a season that just won’t give him a break.
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