Alexander Isak has shared a statement following successful surgery on the injury suffered in Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Tottenhamwith the striker left “gutted.”

Isak fractured his fibula and required surgery to repair damage to his ankle after a shocking challenge from Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven on Saturday.

Liverpool will now be without their No. 9 for a number of months, and it seems likely that Isak will miss the majority of the second half of the season.

That is undoubtedly a blow to both player and club, particularly as the Swede was looking to slowly get up to speed following a turbulent move from Newcastle late in the summer.

Posting on his Instagram story on Tuesday evening, Isak wrote: “Gutted to be out for a while.

“Time to recover and support from the sideline. I will work hard to be back as soon as I possibly can.

“Thank you all Reds and everyone else for the kind messages, it does not go unnoticed! YNWA.”

While the club have not placed a timeframe on Isak’s recovery, and certainly not his return to the pitch, Arne Slot expects the 26-year-old to be back before the end of the season.

▶ عرض المحتوى المضمّن

]

▶ عرض المحتوى المضمّن

]

Speaking to reporters in his pre-match press conference ahead of the visit of Wolvesthe head coach said: “It’s been a really challenging and difficult period for him I think.

“You join a new club, usually when you joined a new club you want to show immediately all the qualities you have, but that was simply impossible.

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

“And that took, which we all knew, months before we could bring him there, because there was no pre-season.

“There were games, games, games, games, games, hardly any time to train, so we always knew that it would take him time and that’s why it’s so unlucky that he’s now injured.

“Because I think we all saw, with his goal against West Ham and this goal, that he got closer and closer to the player he was last season at Newcastle.”

Hugo Ekitike will remain first-choice centre-forward in Isak’s absence, with Slot expected to rely on Federico Chiesa as cover for the Frenchman.

Liverpool could also turn to the transfer market to bolster their attack in January, though prime candidate Antoine Semenyo is now reliably reported to prefer a move to Man City.