Liverpool fear Alexander Isak has sustained a significant injury – UK Times

Liverpool fear Alexander Isak has sustained a significant injury after being forced off in the win over Tottenham.

The club are waiting for the results of an MRI scan but the Press Association understands there are concerns over the extent of the problem to the Sweden international’s lower left leg.

However, they are unwilling to speculate on the potential implications for the 26-year-old until a full assessment of all medical tests has been completed.

Isak sustained the issue scoring the opener, only his second goal of an already injury-troubled debut season, in Saturday’s 2-1 win after defender Micky van der Ven slid across and caught his shooting leg as the striker planted it on the floor.

Isak, who had been on for only 11 minutes after coming on as a half-time substitute, left the pitch looking in considerable distress.

Immediately after the game head coach Arne Slot admitted the injury was “not a good thing”.

“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.

“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.”

Isak has made 16 appearances since his £125million British record move from Newcastle on deadline day but Saturday was only his sixth Premier League start.

His dispute with his former club meant he did not have a proper pre-season programme and so arrived at Anfield well behind his team-mates in terms of fitness.

Liverpool have been patient with his preparation but there have been a couple of false dawns when Slot has declared the Swede’s season was ready to start, only for a minor injury to set his progress back.

Isak missed four matches at the end of October and start of November with a groin injury which forced him off at half-time of the Champions League win over Eintracht Frankfurt.

He has started five out of nine since returning but any absence now, however lengthy, will be a blow with Mohamed Salah at the Africa Cup of Nations and Cody Gakpo not ready to return from a muscle injury until early in the new year.

It leaves Slot with just Hugo Ekitike, who has five goals in his last four games, and the little-used Federico Chiesa as his only senior forwards.

The head coach has floated the idea of wing-back Jeremie Frimpong, himself only just back from a lengthy injury, as a wide forward but as he has an injury worry over Conor Bradley and Joe Gomez has a hamstring problem he may need to cover the right side of defence.

It could mean more game time for 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha, who made an explosive start to the season but has been on the fringes for the last couple of months.