Liverpool dealt new referee verdict on Alexander Isak tackle as leg break suspected

Alexander Isak suffered a suspected leg break from Micky van de Ven's tackle during the match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with referee experts divided on whether it should have been a red card

Alexander Isak faces a spell on the sidelines following a challenge from Micky van de Ven in Liverpool's win over Tottenham(Image: Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)

Liverpool have received a fresh referee verdict on Micky van de Ven's challenge on Alexander Isak, which led to the striker suffering a suspected leg break.

Arne Slot's team clinched a narrow victory in north London on Saturday evening, with Isak netting the first goal in the second half. However, after his successful strike, a slide tackle from Van de Ven caught the striker's leg as he planted it, forcing him out of the game. The immediate reaction of his teammates painted a grim picture. A stretcher was summoned, but Isak managed to hobble off the pitch with assistance from Liverpool's medical team.

Initial fears among supporters suggested a potential ACL injury, but the club quickly dismissed this. Nevertheless, the suspected diagnosis is no less serious. Reports on Sunday hinted at a possible lower leg break, but the severity of the injury and the length of recovery time remain uncertain, with the club set to provide an update following scans, reports the Liverpool Echo.

Understandably, the incident sparked questions from spectators as to why Van de Ven wasn't penalised given the harshness of the tackle. Replays revealed that he lunged into the challenge with little chance of getting the ball, resulting in a severe injury.

The incident has sparked debate, with pundits on Sky Sports' Ref Watch split over whether it warranted a red card. Former professional Jay Bothroyd argued that whilst Van de Ven's intention would not have been to injure Isak, the reckless nature of the challenge merited a sending-off.

"Van de Ven has not intentionally tried to hurt Isak," he explained. "Obviously, he is desperate to stop a goal and he's coming across to stop the shot.

"This is an example where, yes, Isak has scored, but it should still be a red card. He's lunging, he's going into him. Every explanation you want to give for a red-card challenge is there. Because he's scored, they've let it go.

Alexander Isak now faces a lengthy wait on the results of his MRI(Image: Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty Images)

"He's lunged, he's out of control. He's trying to make a block but he's never going to get there. If that's in the middle of the park, that's a red card."

Former referee Dermot Gallagher disagreed, however, maintaining that the challenge was not a red-card offence and that the outcome of the tackle should not take precedence over its nature.

"I can't see that he's done anything that a footballer wouldn't," he explained. "I would be astonished if that was given as a red card anywhere on the field.

"Players mistime challenges all the time. He's slightly late... it's not a red card. Whether it be in the penalty area, in the D, the centre circle or the other half."

However, the two pundits did concur that the referee made the right call in sending off Xavi Simons for his tackle on Virgil van Dijk in the first half. The Dutchman's high and reckless challenge on his national team captain resulted in his studs making contact with the defender's calf.

"I want to make clear that I don't think Simons has any intention to do this, but he has done it," Gallagher commented on the Simons incident. "Once you see the replay, you can't unsee it.

"When VAR sees that, in modern football, it is always going to be a red card. He's unlucky, but he is always going to see red. You can't make challenges like that anymore."