Arne Slot names biggest Christmas wish as Liverpool boss addresses 'major disappointment'

Arne Slot, the Liverpool head coach, has detailed his Christmas wish for 2025, with the Reds boss keeping his fingers crossed that Alexander Isak's injury doesn't keep him out long

Arne Slot, head coach of Liverpool, during the Premier League game against Tottenham.(Image: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot says his biggest Christmas wish is for Alexander Isak to return to action as quickly as possible after the Swede underwent successful surgery.

Isak was seriously injured during Liverpool's last outing in the Premier League, breaking his leg after being brought down by Micky van de Ven in the process of scoring the game's opening goal. He was able to walk off but is now set to be out for months.

Hugo Ekitike will need to step up and play even more regularly in the absence of Isak. Liverpool signed the latter from Newcastle United in September, breaking the British transfer record to do so, but he is yet to properly get going under Slot.

"The fact that we will not have Alexander Isak with us for a period is, of course, a major disappointment," the Liverpool boss writes in the official matchday program for the game against Wolves.

"In the moment that Alex was injured, he showed the movement, the finishing and the overall quality that he can bring to our team so it is a big blow to be without him.

"If I am allowed a wish at Christmas, it would be that he recovers as well and as quickly as possible. In the meantime, we will have to manage without him and also the other players who are unavailable for one reason or another.

"This has been one of the stories of our season so far and we have no option but to cope. This means finding solutions and, most importantly, sticking together on and off the pitch."

Alexander Isak faces a long lay-off after breaking his leg against Tottenham(Image: Getty Images)

While Liverpool has toiled at times this season, it has won three games in a row heading into the Anfield double-header with Wolves and Leeds United.

"This season has been mixed, to say the least," captain Virgil van Dijk adds. "We have seen a lot of changes in terms of the squad, with players leaving and new players arriving, and I think it’s fair to say that we have not yet shown our very best, in terms of consistency.

"We have had some good games and some memorable victories, still, but it has also been extremely challenging, with some really tough moments along the way. As captain, trust me when I say I feel those tough moments as much as anyone.

"Now, though, the focus is solely on Saturday's game against Wolverhampton Wanderers, where we will be looking to build on some positive recent results, and end the year on a high in front of our supporters at Anfield.

"I know that a lot of people will be looking at this game, looking at our opponents' position in the league table and expecting us to win, but we know that this will be an extremely tough game against a team which will have a lot of motivation.

"We come into this game off the back of an important win at Tottenham last weekend, but we accept that even in victory, there were clear areas for improvement in terms of our performance level.

"We did a lot of things well down in north London, but we know that the last 10 or 15 minutes were far from our best, and we have to keep working hard each and every day to improve, because in the Premier League, sloppiness is punished more often than not.

"That said, we are all looking forward to getting out there on Saturday afternoon, and I know we can bank on your fantastic support as ever. Let's finish the year on a high."