LONDON: Liverpool confirmed Alexander Isak will be out for several months after surgery for a fracture in his left leg.

The club are yet to outline a timescale on the recovery of Isak who came off the bench to score for Arne Slot’s side at Tottenham on Saturday but was injured by a challenge from Micky van de Ven just after getting his shot away for the goal.

The forward, who signed for a Premier League record £125m in the summer, has scored three goals in 16 appearances for Liverpool since making the move from Newcastle in September.

The injury is the latest setback in a difficult period for him.

This summer he was left out of the Newcastle squad for their pre-season tour of Asia with what the club described as a “minor thigh injury”, while it was understood he wanted to explore a move away.

He then trained alone at his former club Real Sociedad before eventually joining Liverpool on deadline day.

He made his Reds debut in a Champions League win against Atletico Madrid on 17 September and scored his first goal for the club in a 2-1 win over Southampton but has struggled for form and fitness since.

His first league goal for Slot’s side came at West Ham on 30 November before his strike against Tottenham.

Isak has struggled to settle at Liverpool since making the move from Newcastle but his goal on Saturday should have been the moment to really kick-start his season.

Instead this is a seismic blow and one which will have potential consequences going into the January transfer window, with the Reds short of attacking depth.

Mohamed Salah is away at the Africa Cup of Nations, scoring the winner in Egypt’s opener on Monday, and despite uncertainty over his future is unlikely to leave the club in January.

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