Arne Slot slams Micky van de Ven 'reckless challenge' on Liverpool striker Alexander Isak

While Tottenham had both Xavi Simons and Cristian Romero dismissed during a volatile match - the former for catching Virgil van Dijkon the calf -

Van de Ven escaped censure from the match officials.

Slot said on Tuesday: "Yeah, (Isak's injury) was a reckless challenge.

"I've said a lot about the tackle of Xavi Simons, which for me was completely unintentional. I don't think you will ever get an injury out of a tackle like that.

"But the tackle of Van de Ven, if you make a tackle like that 10 times, 10 times there is a serious chance the player gets a serious injury."

Isak's goal was only his second in the Premier League since arriving for a British record £125million from Newcastle United on deadline day in September

with the Sweden international having struggled with form and fitness having been forced to train alone during pre-season before moving to Anfield.

And Slot said: "It has been a really challenging and difficult period for him. He joined a new club, he was very excited and you want to show immediately all the qualities that you have.

“But that was simply impossible. Maybe no-one understands but if you have not trained for three or four months on a serious level with the team and you are playing in this league when you need to be on top of your game to impact a game of football and that took, as we all knew, months before we could bring him there because there was no pre-season just games, games, games and no time to train.

"We always knew it would take him time and that is why he is so unlucky that he is now injured because we all saw with his goal at West Ham, with this goal, that he got closer and closer to the player he was last season at Newcastle.”

Liverpool return to action at home to rock-bottom Wolves on Saturday (3pm kick-off).

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